Organ Recital: Tyrone Whiting

César Franck (1822-1890)
from Six Pièces pour Grand Orgue (1859-1862)
   2. Grande Pièce Symphonique, Op. 17


Director of Music at the historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Philadelphia, Tyrone Whiting oversees all music making at this beautiful landmark in the city’s suburbs. A robed adult choir supported by four professional section leaders, a children’s choir Chorister program, and a robust series of concerts throughout the year, make St. Martin’s an incredibly musically active church, whose mission and outreach are at the heart of the program.

Winner of multiple prizes, organist and conductor, Tyrone Whiting began his studies at the age of 16 with Nigel McClintock at Croydon Parish Church (now Croydon Minster) in London, UK. Five years later, in the summer of 2011, he was awarded the Associateship diploma of the Royal College of Organists (ARCO).

He has performed at venues all over the UK, Europe, and the USA including Westminster Abbey (UK), St. Sulpice, Paris (France), and the Palau de la Música de València (Spain), and several venues in Mexico. Just last week hosted Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center’s annual Organ Day as a performer and emcee, and future performances include a recital and masterclass for the Los Angeles chapter of the AGO in October, and a Longwood Gardens recital in early 2023.

Tyrone previously graduated from the Royal College of Music (RCM) as a scholar on the Postgraduate Diploma in Performance Science, where he was generously funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council Studentship and supported by the Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Award. Returning to the RCM in 2016, Tyrone received a distinction in the one-year fast-track Master of Music degree course, achieving an ‘excellent’ category distinction grade in his final organ recital, and receiving the renowned Harold Darke Prize 2017. Tyrone studied organ with both David Graham and Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, conducting with Peter Stark and Howard Williams, and has also undertaken historical performance projects with Jane Chapman and Lawrence Zazzo.

Graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where he studied organ performance with William Whitehead, Daniel Moult, and Ann Elise Smoot, Tyrone was three times winner of the Geoffrey Singleton Prize for organ performance (2010, 2011 & 2012), and twice winner of the Cardnell Organ Prize for ‘talents as an organist’ (2011 & 2012). Tyrone also studied at Trinity’s Junior Department where he was awarded the Hambourg Award for Improvisation.
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Prior to Tyrone’s arrival in the USA, he was Director of Music at St. Mary’s Parish Church, Battersea from 2012 to early 2018. At St. Mary’s, Tyrone established a biennial recital series as well as a new fully funded choral scholarship program, and conducted several large-scale concerts including Mozart and Fauré’s requiems, J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion, and Stainer’s Crucifixion.

Passionate about teaching, Tyrone was awarded the Licentiateship diploma of Trinity College, London (LTCL) in Instrumental/Vocal Teaching with a high distinction and works as a teacher of organ, piano, conducting, and theory/history. He has held posts such as Head of Music at Elmhurst Independent School for Boys, London and works as an animateur for music and the Arts.

More information at www.TyroneWhiting.com