James O'Donnell (organist)

rdf:langString James O'Donnell (organist)

rdf:langString James O'Donnell

rdf:langString James O'Donnell

rdf:langString Scotland

rdf:langString Organist and master of the choristers of Westminster Abbey

rdf:langString James O'Donnell KCSG (born 15 August 1961) is a British organist, choral conductor and academic teacher. He was master of music at Westminster Cathedral in London from 1988 to 2000 and made recordings with the cathedral choir; their recording of Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir and Ildebrando Pizzetti's Messa di Requiem received awards. O'Donnell has played organ concerts and appeared with choirs internationally. He recorded Poulenc's Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns's Third Symphony, with organ, among others. He has held the position of organist and master of the choristers of Westminster Abbey since 2000. With the choir of the Westminster Abbey, he recorded Music for Remembrance, written in memory of those who died in the two World Wars, including Duruflé's Requiem. He has been responsible for the music at several national functions at Westminster, including the funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002, the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, the 2022 service of thanksgiving for the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. O'Donnell has been teaching at the Royal Academy of Music from 1997, was president of the Royal College of Organists from 2001 to 2013, and will be designated professor at Yale University, to begin teaching from 2023.