Organ Scholarships
Organ Scholarships at The Queen's College, Oxford provide opportunities to work within one of the UK's finest university choral establishments and to play a world-class organ.
Apply for an organ scholarship here
Queen's always has two Organ Scholars, who are undergraduate members of the College. The Organ Scholars play at College services, choir concerts and on tours, and gain valuable experience by assisting the Director of Music with the training, directing, and running of the choir. The Organ Scholarship is worth £800 per annum, including funding for organ lessons. Organ Scholars at Queen’s study with leading organists, such as Thomas Trotter and Stephen Farr, although the choice of teacher is at the Scholar’s discretion. Organ Scholars are guaranteed rooms on the main college site, with piano, for the duration of their course. Organ Scholarships will next be offered for undergraduates coming into residence in 2023 and 2024. Prospective applicants are welcome to contact Professor Rees at any time of year. An open day for Choral and Organ awards is held by the Oxford University Music Faculty in late April or early May each year.
ORGAN SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS
Auditions for those interested in holding an Organ Scholarship will next be held in September 2024 for entry in 2026 or 2027.
Application forms are available here. The deadline is 1 September 2024.
Senior organ scholar luke mitchell
Luke Mitchell is currently a final-year student and Senior Organ scholar at The Queen’s College, Oxford, In conjunction with musically directing New Chamber Opera Studio, and being a repetiteur scholar. As Organ Scholar at Queen’s alongside accompanying and occasionally directing the choir, he has performed as a continuo player with the Academy of Ancient Music and Instruments of Time and Truth, as well as twice live on BBC Radio 3 as an organist. Prior to this, he was Organ Scholar of Worcester Cathedral, where he became a prize-winning Associate of the Royal College of Organists, and at Winchester College, where he gained an LTCL with distinction in harpsichord performance, and has appeared as soloist and director at the Keble Early Music Festival. As a harpsichordist, he has given solo recitals across Oxford, is active as a song accompanist and continuo player, and made a concerto appearance at KEMF 2023. Last year with New Chamber Opera he was been the Musical Director for Blow: Venus and Adonis and Pepusch: The Death of Dido, alongside directing a concert of Vivaldi and Pergolesi with Austin Haynes and Maryam Wocial, and Grands Motets by De Lalande, and Oratorios by Carissimi and Charpentier. This year, he has directed Purcell’s King Arthur, Charpentier’s Action, and in June conducts Weldon’s the Judgement of Paris, alongside his work with Deitatis. Next year, he takes up a place at Royal Academy of Music in London, studying harpsichord, having studied with Laurence Cummings and Penelope Cave, and organ recently with Jeremiah Stephenson, Steven Farr, Pieter van Dijk and James McVinnie.
JUNior ORGAN SCHOLAr rudyard cook
Rudyard Cook is an organist, pianist and cellist currently studying Music at the Queen’s College, Oxford, where he is Junior Organ scholar. Rudyard is currently studying organ with Stephen Farr and has previously learnt with James Orford and David Goode. He also is active as a collaborative pianist and regularly plays for the Eglesfield Music Society. As a cellist, Rudyard plays with the Oxford University Orchestra and Oxford Sinfonietta, as well as playing continuo with New Chamber Opera.
Where are they now?
Matthew Owens (1989–1992) won all the major prizes in the diplomas of the Royal College of Organists. He was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Wells Cathedral since 2005, and in 2020 took up the equivalent post at Belfast Cathedral.
David Bednall (1997–2000) was Assistant Organist at Gloucester Cathedral, Wells Cathedral, and Bristol Cathedral, and is active as an organ recitalist. He is also a highly successful composer, published by Oxford University Press, and has written a number of choral works for the choir.
Olivia Clarke (2010–2013) is Assistant Conductor at English National Opera, where she is also the Mackerras Fellow. After leaving Queen’s she studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and at the International Conducting Academy, Universität der Künste, Berlin.
Laurence John (2017–2020) starts as Assistant Director of Music at St David’s Cathedral in September 2022. He is currently Organ Scholar at Exeter Cathedral and spent 2020-21 as Organist at Pusey House, Oxford.
Thomas Dilley (2018–2021) is currently studying at Toulouse Conservatoire and will take up the organ scholarship at Truro Cathedral later in 2022.