Artistic and Executive Director
David Titterington is Head of Organ at the Royal Academy of Music, Artistic Director of St Albans International Organ Festival and a Professor of the University of London.
He was an Organ Scholar at the University of Oxford before continuing his organ studies in Paris with Marie-Claire Alain and Susan Landale at the Conservatoire de Reuil-Malmaison where he won a ‘Premier Prix a l’unanimité avec les félicitations du Jury’ and later with the distinguished Czech composer, Petr Eben.
Titterington appears in recitals and concertos at major festivals worldwide and include the bi-centennial Festival of Sydney, and the international festivals of Hong Kong, New Zealand, Adelaide, Tokyo, Guelph, Schleswig Holstein, Israel, Istanbul, City of London, Belfast, Brighton, Cheltenham, Harrogate. For eighteen years, he gave annual masterclasses and recitals at the Dartington International Summer School.
He made his debut at the BBC Proms in 1990 with a solo recital which included a Proms commission from Diana Burrell, Arched forms with bells. At the BBC Proms 2000, he played in the UK premiere of Hans Werner Henze’s Ninth Symphony with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and in the BBC Proms 2009, he gave his second solo recital of works by Elgar and Peter Dickinson. Royal Festival Hall recitals include his debut in 1986 followed by a recital in the 50th anniversary recital series which included the premiere of Stephen Montague’s Toccare Incandescent commissioned by the Southbank Centre. In February 2016, his recital included the world premiere of a Southbank commissioned work by Sally Beamish, Chaconne.
Throughout his career, David Titterington has worked closely with many composers across a wide range of styles including commissioned works, first performances and in recital with works by Mauricio Kagel, Diana Burrell, Lyell Cresswell, Peter Dickinson, Jonathan Dove, Paul Patterson, Giles Swayne, Per Nørgård. In 1998, he gave the New Zealand premiere of Olivier Messiaen’s Livre du Saint Sacrement – ‘a performance of spellbinding authority… Titterington giving us a performance of staggering intensity and brilliance’ (The Dominion, Wellington).
In performance, he has worked with many distinguished soloists, orchestras and including Hakan Hardenberger, Christian Lindberg, John Wallace, Thomas Sanderling, Ingo Metzmacher, City of London Sinfonia, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, La Camerata of Athens, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
David Titterington has been awarded numerous honours and awards which include Fellowship (honoris causa) of the Royal College of Organists, a Doctorate (honoris causa) and Honorary Professorship by the Liszt Ferenc State University of Budapest. Honorary doctorates have also been conferred by the Universities of Huddersfield and Bolton. David Titterington is an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music and in 2016, was elected Fellow Commoner of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. In 2018, he was conferred an Honorary Fellow, King’s College London.
Recent and forthcoming engagements include recitals at Sogakudo Hall, Tokyo; Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National University of the Arts, Tokyo; MUZA Kawasaki Hall, Tokyo; Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul and the Fribourg Organ Festival.