BIOGRAPHY

James McVinnie

James McVinnie is the Assistant Organist of Westminster Abbey. He has held Organ Scholarships at St. Albans Cathedral and Clare College, Cambridge (where he read music). After graduating in 2006 he became Organ Scholar and then Acting Sub-Organist of St. Paul’s Cathedral where he played for regular services and many great state occasions. He is also currently the Organ Tutor at Dulwich College and Director of Music at St. Andrew’s, Holborn, London.
With the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, James McVinnie performed throughout the UK, Europe, the USA, and the Far East in addition to appearing as their accompanist on numerous acclaimed recordings. He also acted as chorus master to the choir during a six week European tour of Handel’s Messiah with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and René Jacobs as conductor. In October 2006 he recorded his first solo disc of Samuel Sebastian Wesley’s organ music on the 1873 Willis organ of St. Michael’s, Tenbury.
James McVinnie has an increasingly busy schedule as an organ soloist and continuo player. He takes a keen interest in new music and has had pieces written for him by Nico Muhly, Graham Ross and Robert Walker. He continues to study the organ with Thomas Trotter and Hans Fagius.