ORGANIST

David Briggs is an internationally acclaimed organist, improviser, and composer whose performances are praised for their exceptional musicality, virtuosity, and ability to captivate audiences of all generations. Widely regarded as one of the leading organists of his generation, his repertoire spans more than five centuries of music. He is particularly renowned as one of today’s foremost transcribers of symphonic works for organ, presenting orchestral masterpieces through a new sonic dimension of the instrument. His transcriptions include works by Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Bruckner, Ravel, and Bach, as well as Mahler’s symphonies. American radio producer Michael Barone described him as a “fearless improviser.” He is also well known for his live improvisations accompanying silent films. At the age of 17, Briggs earned the FRCO (Fellow of the Royal College of Organists) diploma. He served as Organ Scholar at King’s College, University of Cambridge, and won major improvisation prizes in St Albans and Paisley. He has held cathedral organist positions in Hereford, Truro, and Gloucester, and is active worldwide as a teacher, masterclass leader, and international competition juror.

He performs approximately 65 concerts each year in leading concert halls and cathedrals worldwide, including London’s Royal Albert Hall, Notre-Dame and Saint-Sulpice in Paris, the Berlin Philharmonie, and numerous venues across Europe and the United States. As a composer and performer, he has recorded more than 35 albums.

David Briggs currently serves as Artist-in-Residence at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York.