Organ Scholarships
Organ Scholarships at Queen's provide opportunities to work within one of the UK's finest university choral establishments and to play a world-class organ.
CHORAL AND ORGAN SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN DAY 2025
Apply for an organ scholarship here
Organ Scholarships at Queen’s
Queen's always has two Organ Scholars, who are undergraduate members of the College. The Organ Scholars play at College services, choir concerts and on tours, and gain valuable experience by assisting the Director of Music with the training, directing, and running of the choir. The Organ Scholarship is worth £800 per annum, including funding for organ lessons. Organ Scholars at Queen’s study with leading organists, such as Thomas Trotter and Stephen Farr, although the choice of teacher is at the Scholar’s discretion. Organ Scholars are guaranteed rooms on the main college site, with piano, for the duration of their course. Organ Scholarships will next be offered for undergraduates coming into residence in 2026 and 2027.
Prospective applicants are welcome to contact Professor Rees at any time of year. An open day for Choral and Organ awards is held by the Oxford University Music Faculty in late April or early May each year.
Organ Scholarship Auditions
Auditions for those interested in holding an Organ Scholarship will next be held in September 2025 for entry in 2026 or 2027.
Application forms are available here. The deadline is 5 September 2025.
The Organs
Queen’s houses two organs: a superb Frobenius Organ (1965) and a wonderful new Jennings Chamber Organ, completed in 2023. For further information on our organs, please click below.
Current Organ Scholars
Junior Organ Scholar Arthur Barton
Arthur is the junior organ scholar at Queen’s. He accompanies for, and occasionally conducts, the thrice weekly evensongs in the chapel. He is in first year studying music. Previously, he was an organ scholar at Sherborne Abbey where, likewise, he assisted in the accompanying of services and other events. He studies organ with Stephen Farr and has previously studied with Margaret Phillips and Callum Alger.
Senior Organ Scholar Rudyard Cook
Rudyard Cook is an organist, pianist and cellist currently studying Music at the Queen’s College, Oxford, where he is Junior Organ scholar. Rudyard is currently studying organ with Stephen Farr and has previously learnt with James Orford and David Goode. He also is active as a collaborative pianist and regularly plays for the Eglesfield Music Society. As a cellist, Rudyard plays with the Oxford University Orchestra and Oxford Sinfonietta, as well as playing continuo with New Chamber Opera.
Where are they now?
Matthew Owens (1989–1992) won all the major prizes in the diplomas of the Royal College of Organists. He was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Wells Cathedral since 2005, and in 2020 took up the equivalent post at Belfast Cathedral.
David Bednall (1997–2000) was Assistant Organist at Gloucester Cathedral, Wells Cathedral, and Bristol Cathedral, and is active as an organ recitalist. He is also a highly successful composer, published by Oxford University Press, and has written a number of choral works for the choir.
Olivia Clarke (2010–2013) is Assistant Conductor at English National Opera, where she is also the Mackerras Fellow. After leaving Queen’s she studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and at the International Conducting Academy, Universität der Künste, Berlin.
Laurence John (2017–2020) starts as Assistant Director of Music at St David’s Cathedral in September 2022. He is currently Organ Scholar at Exeter Cathedral and spent 2020-21 as Organist at Pusey House, Oxford.
Thomas Dilley (2018–2021) is currently studying at Toulouse Conservatoire and will take up the organ scholarship at Truro Cathedral later in 2022.