To begin a new year of musical moments, I thought I would start with organ superstar, Anna Lapwood. Organist, conductor, and broadcaster, Anna is the Director of Music and a Bye-Fellow at Pembroke College, Cambridge. In 2022 she was appointed Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall, Artist in Association with the BBC Singers and Ambassador of the Cathedral Music Trust alongside Alexander Armstrong. While studying at Oxford University, Anna became the first female in Magdalen College’s 560-year history to be awarded the Organ Scholarship.

Anna made her debut for the BBC Proms as a soloist in Saint-Saëns ‘Organ Symphony’ with The Hallé conducted by Sir Mark Elder. Recent collaborations include performances with Alison Balsom, Bonobo, Emma Johnson, Benedict Cumberbatch and Alex Macqueen. You can see excerpts of these collaborations on her Instagram and TikTok videos.

Making her TV presenting debut hosting coverage of BBC Young Musician, Anna was also invited to present a televised Prom from the Royal Albert Hall in 2021. As a radio broadcaster she is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4.

Anna is a great protagonist for her instrument, the organ. She is a natural communicator and reaches a huge audience through her concerts and via social media with particular success on Instagram and TikTok. With over 700,000 followers across all platforms, Anna has amassed tens of millions of views in a short space of time. She has a swiftly expanding following, many of whom have come to their first (and second!) ‘classical’ concerts as a result of ongoing engagement with her content.

​Increasingly in demand as a guest conductor, Anna has also directed the BBC Singers as part of the Proms Inspire programme and has led choral workshops around the world. A strong advocate for music education at home and abroad, she specialises in bringing music to children from impoverished backgrounds. Anna enjoys a special musical connection with children and young adults in Zambia, having first visited with the Muze Trust Charity. Her work in Zambia continues year on year.

Anna’s passion for the organ is matched by her mission to support girls and women in music. Her commitment to opportunity, equality and diversity is evident in almost every aspect of her life and work. In the last two years, Anna has commissioned a total of 15 works by female composers. Throughout 2021 Anna worked with Stainer & Bell to commission and edit 12 new organ pieces by female composers, published in a new anthology, ‘Gregoriana’, in May 2022 which was awarded Presto Music’s Publication of the Year in 2022. Anna regularly creates arrangements for her choirs and has works published by Boosey and Hawkes.

Anna runs organ workshops for young players around the country including the Cambridge Organ Experience for Girls. She is humbled to find that she is an inspiration to many young women and proud that they have adopted her hashtag, #playlikeagirl.

https://www.annalapwood.co.uk/

Maki Gajic Murata, Composer-in-Residence