MUSIC

The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart presents London is Calling - James O'Donnell Plays on the Opus XIX, Tuesday, March 1 at 7:30pm.

James O'Donnell (pictured, photo by Malcolm Crowthers) is Organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey and is one of the outstanding British musicians of his generation. On March 1st, the Opus XIX Pipe Organ Music Programme of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart brings this musical genius to Houston to play on the Opus XIX Pipe Organ.

After early studies at the Royal College of Music, he was appointed organ scholar of Jesus College, Cambridge, where he took a first-class degree in music and studied the organ with Peter Hurford, Nicolas Kynaston and, subsequently, David Sanger. He served for five years as Assistant Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, succeeding as Master of Music at the age of 26.

Under his 12-year leadership the Choir of Westminster Cathedral consolidated its reputation as one of the finest choirs of men and boys in the world, and won much praise and several awards for its many recordings, notably the Gramophone magazine's coveted "Record of the Year" award (1998) for a Hyperion recording of Masses by Frank Martin and Ildebrando Pizzetti.

In January 2000, James O'Donnell was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey, where he is responsible for the direction of the music at the daily choral services and state occasions for which the Abbey is renowned. He directs the Abbey Choir in its programme of concerts, tours, broadcasts and recordings, including visits in recent years to the Far East, Denmark, Germany, Spain, the United States and, in October 2007, Australia.

James O'Donnell is internationally known as an organist, having appeared in concert all over the world. He has played many times in the United States and throughout Europe. He has appeared at the BBC Proms and in many other festivals both at home and abroad and has worked with some of the country's leading orchestras and ensembles. He opened the Royal Festival Hall's 50th anniversary organ concert season (October 2003), and recent concerts have included St-Sulpice, Paris, Cologne Cathedral, and the Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow, together with concerts in Japan, the Netherlands and the United States. He was a featured recitalist at the 2006 national convention of the American Guild of Organists in Chicago. From 1997 until 2004 he was Professor of Organ at the Royal Academy of Music, where he now holds the post of Visiting Professor.

Tickets available at opusxix.org.