James O’Donnell has been Organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey since January 2000. He enjoys a varied career as a conductor and internationally renowned organist. Foremost among his responsibilities at Westminster Abbey is the direction of the Abbey Choir, in both its daily choral services and its extensive programme of concerts, tours, broadcasts, and recordings. Among many highlights, he directed the music for the Wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and at many other national occasions, and has toured with the Abbey Choir to the Far East, the United States, Australia and throughout Europe.

As an organist he has performed all over the world and appeared in the BBC Proms and at other international festivals. He has appeared several times as soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, notably in a live recording of Poulenc’s Organ Concerto conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin in the Royal Festival Hall.

James O’Donnell studied as a junior exhibitioner at the Royal College of Music and was then Organ Scholar of Jesus College, Cambridge while reading for a degree in Music. At the age of 26 he was appointed Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral where under his direction the international reputation and profile of the Cathedral Choir, particularly for its recordings, developed considerably. It won the Gramophone ‘Record of the Year’ award (for its Hyperion disc of masses by Frank Martin and Pizzetti, 1998), and received the award of the Royal Philharmonic Society (1999); both unprecedented for a cathedral choir.

As soloist and director James O’Donnell has worked with many of the country’s leading ensembles. He was professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music and is now Visiting Professor of Organ and Choral Conducting. He has also taught at Yale University and Curtis Institute in the US and McGill University in Canada. He was President of the Royal College of Organists from 2011 to 2013. He is an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Aberdeen.