Qualifications
MA (Oxon), PGDip (RAM), ARAM, FRCO
Academic Background
Steven Grahl is a sought-after conductor and keyboard player. Alongside his role at Christ Church and in the Faculty of Music, he is Conductor of Schola Cantorum of Oxford. Steven served as Director of Music at Peterborough Cathedral from 2014-2018, where he was responsible for training the Cathedral Choir, and for the re-pitching of the Hill Organ. He has recently recorded a solo CD on this instrument. Peterborough Cathedral Choir’s recording of Cheryl Frances Hoad’s EvenYouSong, made under Steven’s direction, was released to critical acclaim in December 2017.
For seven years, Steven was Assistant Organist at New College, Oxford, and he combined this post with that of Organist and Director of Music at St Marylebone Parish Church, London. He has also been musical director of The Guildford Chamber Choir, Peterborough Choral Society, and The Stamford Chamber Orchestra. Recent conducting engagements include: Verdi Requiem with Peterborough Choral Society and Cathedral Choirs; Bach Magnificat and Handel Coronation Anthems with the Guildford Chamber Choir and Instruments of Time and Truth; and works by Escaich, Copland, Maw, and Whitacre with Cambridge University Symphony Chorus. Steven has worked with numerous other ensembles, including The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, Guildford Philharmonic, New London Chamber Choir, and Prime Brass.
A prize-winning graduate of Magdalen College, Oxford, and the Royal Academy of Music, Steven gained the top prizes in the FRCO examination, and is also a holder of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Silver Medallion. In 2010, he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM), an award offered to past students of the Academy who have distinguished themselves in the music profession and made a significant contribution to it in their particular field. Steven has twice held stipendiary lectureships in music at New College and is in demand as an organ and conducting tutor. He has been Chairman of the Association of Assistant Cathedral Organists, and has held a Junior Fellowship in Choral Direction at Birmingham Conservatoire. Steven was an interpretation finalist in the International Organ Competitions at St Albans (UK) in 2011, and in Dudelange (Luxembourg) in 2013, and has recently completed a two-year term as President of the Incorporated Association of Organists.
Undergraduate Teaching
Techniques of Composition; Keyboard Skills; Conducting; Performance
Research Interests
Conductor and Organist; research interests in performance, and choral and vocal pedagogy.
Publications include
Recent CDs include Cheryl Frances Hoad – Even You Song (First Hand Records)
