Kirkjulistahátíð 2013

James McVinnie lagði stund á tónlistarnám við Clare College í Cambridge. Árið 2006 varð hann aðstoðarorganisti við St. Paul´s dómkirkjuna í London. Hann kennir nú orgelleik, við Cambridge háskóla og Tonbridge skólann og er tónlistarstjóri St. Andrew kirkjunnar í Holborn í London.

James var í nokkur ár aðstoðarorganisti við Westminster Abbey, þar sem hann lék við helgiathafnir og gegndi stöðu kórstjóra. Hann lék meðal annars við fjölmargar opinberar athafnir, sem oft á tíðum voru sendar út í beinni útsendingu, m.a. í hinu konunglega brúðkaupi á síðasta ári.

James hefur komið víða við sem organisti, hljómborðsleikari, í hinum ýmsu kammerhópum og sem kennari. Hann hefur komið fram á tónleikum vítt og breitt um Evrópu, Bandaríkin, Asíu og Ástralíu. Hann hefur oft stýrt Clare College kórnum og ferðaðist meðal annars í sex vikur með kórnum um Evrópu ásamt Barrokksveitinni í Freiburg og stjórnandanum René Jacobs.

Sumarið 2009 kom James fyrst fram sem einleikari á Salzburg tónlistarhátíðinni með Barrokksveitinni í Freiburg, undir stjórn Ivors Bolton. Hann hefur síðan komið fram sem einleikari á ýmsum hátíðum vítt og breitt um heiminn.

James McVinnie hefur leikið á tónleikum með tónskáldinu Nico Muhly, víóluleikaranum Nadiu Sirota, söngvaskáldinu Sufjan Stevens og þjóðlagasöngvaranum Sam Amidon. Flutningur nýrrar tónlistar skipar ríkan sess í starfi James og hafa mörg ný verk verið samin sérstaklega fyrir hann. Þar má nefna tónverk eftir Nico Muhly, Graham Ross, Robert Walker, Richard Reed Parry, Shara Worden og David Lang.

James McVinnie pursues a diverse career as an organist, keyboardist, ensemble player and teacher. He was Assistant Organist of Westminster Abbey between 2008 and 2012 where he played for regular services and directed the Abbey’s world famous choir. He also played at many state occasions and special services of national importance which were broadcast live on television, including the state visit of HH Pope Benedict XVI, the Passing of the World War I Generation, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the Royal Wedding, which was broadcast to an estimated live audience of over 2 billion. He previously held Organ Scholarships at St Albans Cathedral, and at Clare College, Cambridge. In 2006 he became Organ Scholar and subsequently Acting Sub-Organist of St Paul’s Cathedral. He currently holds organ teaching posts at Cambridge University and at Tonbridge School and is also Director of Music at St Andrew’s, Holborn, London. He studied the organ with Sarah Baldock and Thomas Trotter, and continues to study with Hans Fagius in Copenhagen.

McVinnie read music at Clare College, Cambridge University, where he was also Organ Scholar. With Clare College Choir, he performed at venues throughout the UK, Europe, the USA, and the Far East in addition to appearing as their accompanist on numerous acclaimed recordings. During this time he also performed in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast in Australia as a harpsichordist with baroque violinist David Irving. He also acted as chorus master to Clare College Choir on several occasions, notably during a six week European tour of Handel’s Messiah with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and René Jacobs. In October 2006 he recorded his first solo disc of S. S. Wesley’s organ music on the 1873 Willis organ of St Michael’s, Tenbury, for Naxos. A second solo disc of new works written for him by the American composer Nico Muhly is to be released in 2013 on the Bedroom Community label. He also appears on recordings by the King’s Consort, the Cardinall’s Musick, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and the St Albans Abbey Girls Choir. He also works regularly with the BBC singers, performing with them in live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, as their accompanist or as a soloist.

In summer 2009 McVinnie made his solo debut in the Salzburg Festival with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by Ivor Bolton, performing Handel’s Op 7 no 5 organ concerto during a staged production of Handel’s oratorio Theodora. As a soloist he has also recently performed in the Westminster Abbey Summer Organ Festival, venues across Russia, the City of London Festival, the Oundle International Festival, the opening recital of the Holmens Church International Organ Festival, Copenhagen, and ‘MusicNOW’, curated by Bryce Dessner of The National. As a continuo player with leading ensembles and musicians he has appeared at the Munich Opera Festival, the Innsbruck Early Music Festival, the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music, the Encounters Early Music Festival at London’s Southbank Centre, the Aldeburgh Festival and the BBC Proms. He has also collaborated in concerts with composer Nico Muhly, violist Nadia Sirota and singersongwriters Sufjan Stevens and Sam Amidon. New music plays a central part of his repertoire; Nico Muhly, Graham Ross, Robert Walker, Richard Reed Parry (of Arcade Fire), Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond), and David Lang (winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in music) have written works for him.

James McVinnie

organisti | organist