george chittenden
ARCO MA
director of music @ st paul’s
cathedral, dunedin, new zealand
international concert organist
homepage biography recital diary repertoire recordings documentation contact
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BIOGRAPHY
George Chittenden, is Director of Music and Cathedral Organist at St Paul’s
Cathedral, Dunedin, New Zealand, and Fleming Galway Organ Fellow
to Knox College, at the University of Otago. He is also an Associate of the Royal College of Organists, and an international concert organist. At St Paul’s Cathedral, George is
responsible for the planning and execution of all areas of the cathedral’s
musical life, including the busy programme of choral
services, rehearsals and concerts. Before moving to New Zealand, George was
employed as Artist-in-Residence/Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford
in the USA, and Organist to the Anglican Singers. Prior to moving to the New England, George held the post of Assistant Organist
to the Cathedral Church
of St Andrew in Aberdeen, Scotland; his appointment at Aberdeen Cathedral was made in April 2006, at which
time he became the youngest cathedral organist in Great Britain. George played
an active role in the busy musical life of the cathedral, organizing both the
intense program of midweek choral services, and also the ‘Cathedral at Noon’
concert series, which features an exciting and eclectic blend recitals every week
of the year. Alongside this, George has been extremely active as both an
accompanist and a choral director at St. Andrew’s, working with the their choir on tours across many major choral
establishments across the Europe and the USA.
At the University of Aberdeen, George accompanied
the majority of university services during his time as David Gordon Memorial
Senior Organ Scholar, and featured numerous times on BBC broadcasts, both local
and international. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies through the
University of Aberdeen, concentrating on the way in which the Nazi occupation
in Scandinavia impacted upon developments within classical composition. In
addition to doctoral studies, George is a teacher of organ, piano and voice. In
his role as a both a university tutor and a a freelance teacher, George taught scores of students, many
of whom are now secondary school music teachers, and regular concert
performers.
Before moving to Aberdeen, George held positions
at Holy Trinity Church in Folkestone, St Augustine’s
Church in Folkestone, and St Paul’s Church in Sandgate. His interest in the organ began at
a young age, and was fostered in his playing by George Sharman, who was at the
time the Director of Music to Westbrook House Preparatory School. Previously,
George has been taught by John Hurd, David Flood
and Anne Marsden-Thomas, Gerard Brooks, Roger Williams, Kevin Jones, and, most
recently, Peter Stoltzfus Berton.
He has also participated in numerous masterclasses
focusing on baroque repertoire, including those run by James Lancelot, Nigel Allcoat, Francis Jacob and Ewald Kooimann..
George is in frequent demand as both a recitalist
and an accompanist – his performances include those of a local, national and
international breadth. In recent years George has performed throughout the
British Isles, Europe and the USA, but has a particularly active solo recital
career in Scandinavia. George, who is half Swedish, performs regularly in
Scandinavia throughout the year; he has recently performed to high acclaim in
Uppsala Cathedral, Sweden, which is among Scandinavia’s most prolific organ
recital venues. Recently, George has performed in Ghent Cathedral, the Königsberger Dom in Kaliningrad and London’s great St.
Paul’s Cathedral; he looks forward to playing in Russian Vladivostok, among
other places, over the coming year. As an accompanist, George works regularly
with the vast majority of choirs in the northeast of Scotland. Additionally,
George is a composer of both choral and organ music, whose works are performed
across Great Britain. Away from a hectic musical schedule, George is a
committed football fan, supporting Celtic FC in the United Kingdom, Malmö FF
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