Philip Rushforth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1972 |
| Occupation | Organist |
Philip Rushforth (born 1972) is an arranger and classical composer who has served as the Organist and Master of the Choristers at Chester Cathedral since 2009. [1] [2] [3] He has collaborated with David Hill and Stephen Layton. [4]
Rushforth was a cathedral chorister at Chester Cathedral. [1] He was tutored by Roger Fisher. [5] In 1991, he was appointed as an organ scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge and was directed by Dr Richard Marlow. [6] Rushforth was also taught by David Sanger. [7] [8]
In 1994, he took up the post of Assistant Organist at Southwell Minster and co-founded the Southwell Minster Chorale. He worked with the chorale for eight years. [9] [5]
In September 2002 he was appointed Assistant Director of Music at Chester Cathedral. [5] [10] Between December 2007 and January 2008, Rushforth was appointed Director of Music and Organist. [1] [7] In 2015, he appeared on BBC Radio 2 on The Organist Entertains - Battle of the Organs. [11] [12] In 2018, he conducted Fauré's Requiem alongside John Lubbock. [13] In 2024, he conducted the choir and a group of musicians from the North West at the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson. [14] [15] [16]
In September 2000, he was a finalist in the Royal College of Organists' Performer of the Year award, performing with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Rumon Gamba. [7] In 2020 he was awarded an honorary Associateship of the Royal School of Church Music (ARSCM) for "achievements in church music of national significance". [29] [30] [31] These include several years volunteering for the former RCSM Chester Area Committee, and for volunteering for Region One in the north of England. [32]