Assistant Organist appointed as Coventry Cathedral's Assistant Director of Music
Luke Fitzgerald, Jesus College's Assistant Organist, has been appointed as the new Assistant Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral.
Luke took on the role of Assistant Organist for 2020-21 under Director of Music Richard Pinel, returning to the College where he had been a chorister. This year has also seen Luke take on academic supervising of undergraduate students in musical analysis, counterpoint and keyboard skills.
Luke said: “It has been a huge privilege to work at Jesus College this year as Assistant Organist to the College’s two choirs. Having begun many of my early musical experiences here as a chorister from 2003-2011 it has been a really wonderful opportunity to return to work with Richard Pinel and the fantastic team here this year. I’ve especially enjoyed coaching the choristers as far as we’ve been able during the pandemic, having worked solely with undergraduate choirs during my student organ scholarships. I am now really looking forward to the move to Coventry Cathedral next year, and look forward to coming back to hear the choirs once performances are once again open for attendance!
"It has been a huge privilege to work at Jesus College this year as Assistant Organist."
Luke Fitzgerald
“I am really delighted to have been appointed Assistant Director of Music at Coventry. I look forward very much to arriving during Coventry’s year as City of Culture, and to contributing to the rich musical and spiritual life of this amazing community and landmark building. As we have all been living and working online so much recently, I can’t wait to meet in person the many people that make this Cathedral community special. At this time when Cathedrals across the country are seeing their choral music blossom back into life, I look forward with enthusiasm to assisting Rachel Mahon in supporting the life of this Cathedral through its choral tradition, and to making music to the highest standards we can attain.”
Luke has spent the last five years as a student and organist at Cambridge, graduating with a starred first BA degree in Music in 2019 before continuing to an MPhil which he completed in 2020. An undergraduate organ scholarship at Gonville and Caius took Luke on frequent tours around the world. It involved making several recordings and radio broadcasts under Geoffrey Webber, as well playing for the regular round of choral services. Luke then went on to work with Stephen Layton and his choir in the role of Associate Organist at Trinity College.
Luke also enjoys conducting and directing, and in addition to choral conducting he has enjoyed collaborations as a continuo keyboardist and director with Cambridge University Collegium Musicum, as well as conducting several operatic performances in Trinity College Chapel and West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge, from Montiverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and Rossini’s La Cenerentola to Walton’s The Bear. Luke keeps up an active diary of solo organ performances, and also makes occasional appearances as a countertenor, including on the 2019 television and radio broadcasts of Carols from Kings.
This is an edited version of an article originally published by Coventry Cathedral.
