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Torontonian appointed organ scholar at London’s famous St Paul’s Cathedral

By Michael Vincent on March 20, 2014

Rachel_Mahon,_St_Paul's_new_organ_scholar

 

Today, it was announced that Canadian Rachel Mahon has become the first ever woman to hold an organist post at the historic St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

This is a huge coup for the University of Toronto faculty of Music graduate, who is currently organ scholar at Truro Cathedral. At just 24, she can already boast an impressive number of achievements.

Mahon began studying the organ in 2005. She was an organ scholar at St James’ Cathedral from 2007 and in 2011, and became principal organist at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of music degree.

Accolades include first place at the Royal Canadian College of Organists’ 2012 young organists’ competition and the 2013 Howard Fairclough Organ Competition. In the same year she took second place in the Canadian National Organ Playing Competition.

Mahon will be playing an organ commissioned from Bernard Smith in 1694. The instrument is the third-largest in Great Britain with 7,266 pipes, 5 manuals, 189 ranks of pipes and 108 stops, enclosed in a stunning case decorated by Grinling Gibbons.

Mahon stated, “I am thrilled to have been appointed organ scholar at St Paul’s Cathedral. It will be a privilege to work with such experienced musicians as Andrew, Simon and Timothy, in so magnificent and historical a setting. It is with great excitement that I look forward to joining them and the Cathedral Choir in September.

St Paul’s Director of Music Andrew Carwood said: “We are delighted to welcome Rachel to the team at St Paul’s, where she will join a long line of fine organists associated with the musical tradition at the Cathedral and its outstanding collection of pipe organs. Her organ playing at audition was superbly poised and elegant and her considerable experiences and talents as a musician will be richly valued throughout the Cathedral.”

The_five_manuals_of_the_Grand_Organ_of_St_Paul's

 

Special thanks to Norman Lebrecht for bringing this to my attention.

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Last year Musical Toronto’s John Terauds caught up with Mahon’s organ duo, Organized Crime for an entertaining interview.  The duo includes both Rachel Mahon and Sarah Svendsen.

 

Michael Vincent

 

 

 

Michael Vincent
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