Richard Pinel is a Fellow and the Director of Music at Jesus College Cambridge, a post which he combines with the directorship of the Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy and a successful freelance career as a virtuoso organist. Prior to this he was, for seven years, Assistant Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, playing for the regular pattern of eight weekly services and other occasions of Royal and national significance. He has held similar posts at Magdalen College, Oxford and Perth Cathedral, Australia and the organ scholarships of St Albans Cathedral and Magdalen College, Oxford.

Beginning his musical life as a chorister at All Saints’ Church, Northampton, Richard was awarded the prestigious organ scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford in 2002, reading for a degree in music. During this time, the Grammy-nominated college choir undertook several recording projects on the Harmonia Mundi USA label, on which Richard’s playing was hailed as ‘a force of nature’. More recently, Richard has undertaken further study with Henry Fairs as a Junior Fellow at Birmingham Conservatoire. Since then he has enjoyed competition success on an international level, culminating in winning the First Prize, Ad Wammes Prize and Naji Hakim Prize at the Breda International Organ Competition in The Netherlands.

As a teacher, Richard has led masterclasses for the Royal College of Organists and tutored on courses for Oundle for Organists. Richard’s first CD L’Orgue Symphonique is released on Resonus Classics and has been praised for its ‘electrifying impact’ and ‘truly tremendous verve’. Recital engagements have taken him across the UK, to Europe and the United States of America and he has broadcast, on BBC Radio 3 and 4, Classic FM and Radio France Culture.