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Ian Higginson – Conductor – Composer – Organist Teacher – Examiner

BRIEFLY

Ian is an established conductor, composer, teacher and organist who lives and works in Gloucestershire. A native from Merseyside, Ian has studied the organ with Ian Tracey (Liverpool Cathedral), David Saint (St Chad’s Cathedral Birmingham) and the late John Scott (Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue, New York). Ian has also studied conducting with Jonathan Delmar and the late David Willcocks, and he has performed both as an organist and conductor in many concert halls, cathedrals and churches across the UK, USA and Europe.  

COMPOSER

WATCH VIDEO OF:
IAN HIGGINSON’S ‘LET ALL THE WORLD IN EVERY CORNDER SING’

Ian is a prolific composer and has a large output of choral, vocal, organ piano and instrumental music published by a variety of publishers in the UK and the USA, where many of his compositions have attracted excellent national and international reviews. Ian’s Christmas carol compositions and arrangements have been performed world-wide, including notable performances such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and chorus, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Bristol Cathedral Concert choir & Orchestra, the City of Glasgow Chorus & Orchestra and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival USA. 

A number of Ian’s instrumental and vocal music have also been chosen as set pieces for various competitive festivals in addition to examination boards including: ABRSM, Trinity, Victoria College of Music and the National College of Music.  In 2006, Ian also received an award from Cheltenham Arts Council in recognition of his work with choirs in the Cheltenham area.  

Well worth a look …. expertly crafted, imaginative, practical and within the scope of most choirs and organists.”

John Rutter

…Refreshingly approachable style, …rhythmic vitality & memorable melodic writing; … one of the few of his generation still unafraid of writing a good tune!” 

Ian Tracey ~ Organist – City of Liverpool, Organist – Liverpool Cathedral, Chorusmaster – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, Professor, Fellow & Organist – John Moores University

I have been performing Ian Higginson’s wonderful Christmas arrangements for a few years now, and I find them universally popular with choirs, orchestral players and audiences alike.” 

Mark Lee ~ Organist & Director of Music at Bristol Cathedral

“Really well-crafted and satisfying to play and enjoy – a very worthwhile addition to an organist’s collection.”

Jonathan Kingston

“For choir directors, Ian Higginson’s choral music includes the best of all possible elements – melodies that are gracious and deliciously singable, musical craftsmanship and imagination that directors, singers and audiences alike will carry with them from any performance, and an understanding of what choirs are capable of. They are not to be missed!”

The late Mark Schweizer ~ Former Conductor & Founder/Director of St James’ Music Press, USA


ORGANIST – DIRECTOR – TEACHER – EXAMINER

Ian has been Organist and Assistant Director of Music for the Cathedral Singers of Christchurch Cathedral Oxford and Organist & Director of Music – University of Gloucestershire. He is currently Conductor & Musical Director of: Jubilate Chamber Choir Cheltenham, Cotswold Sinfonietta and Cotswold Camerata. Ian’s other roles include being School organist & tutor in organ & piano at St Edward’s School, Cheltenham, Piano tutor at Sir William Romney’s School, Tetbury, Organist at Beverston Parish Church, Principal & Chief Examiner of TCSM, (Three Counties School of Music remote music assessment board), Assistant Professor of Sacred Music & University Fellow of Sacred Music & Composition at Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi University, USA, where he is currently teaching composition on the Masters course. 


HOW TO BOOK IAN


If you are interested in booking Ian as a conductor – composer (for commissions) – organist, accompanist, or should you wish to have private lessons remotely in voice, organ, piano, composition, theory or conducting, please visit the contact page and state which capacity you would like Ian to help.