thomas leech

Thomas Leech enjoys a growing reputation as an outstanding organist and dynamic choral director. His busy freelance schedule encompasses not only solo recitals, recording and conducting, but also essential grass-roots work as an organ teacher and choral animateur.

"...we are delighted by the superb playing of Tom Leech..."
Cathedral Music Magazine

"...skillful and sensitive..."
                               Organists' Review.

                             
                             
    

Thomas Leech combines his work as a Choral Director for the Diocese of Leeds with the Musical Directorships of Bradford Festival Choral Society and Sheffield Chorale, and enjoys growing acclaim as a recitalist and teacher.

Prior to spending four years as Assistant Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral he held organ scholarships at Downing College, Cambridge, and Norwich Cathedral. At Downing he read music at the university and directed Downing College Chapel Choir and Darwin College Choir, also conducting a number of major orchestral works, and touring with the chapel choir to Belgium, Holland, Hungary, Poland and the U.S.A. In Norwich he directed the Viva Voce singers, developing their reputation as an exciting and adventurous chamber choir in concerts that included the British premiere of Sibelius 'Everyman' under the direction of Andrew Parrott, and toured to Belgium, Italy and Norway with the cathedral choirs.

At Ripon he played for the daily choral services and he has performed as a soloist in numerous English venues. His playing has been broadcast on BBC1, Radio 2, Radio 3 and Classic FM and recorded on discs with Norwich Cathedral Girls’ Choir on Lammas Records and Ripon Cathedral Choirs on Regent Records and York Ambisonic. He has recently recorded his debut solo disc with Regent Records. Featuring major works by Leighton, Francis Pott and Thalben-Ball it is due for release later this year. Festival engagements have included the Cambridge Summer Festival, and Ripon International Festival with trumpeter Alison Balsom, and concert engagements in 2009 included solo recitals at the Reid Concert Hall (Edinburgh), York Minster, King's College Cambridge, St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, together with performances of Haydn Creation with BFCS and Bach Mass in B Minor with Sheffield Chorale.

He studied organ with David Sanger and in November 2002 studied in Germany with Johannes Geffert and at Klais Orgelbau with the inaugural Klais Organ Scholarship from the Eric Thompson Trust. He has participated in masterclasses and academies with many of today’s leading organists. Thomas is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, winning the Durrant and Turpin prizes in the Fellowship examinations.

He is honoured to be President of Leeds Organists' Association, and is Visiting Organ Teacher at the Grammar School at Leeds.

• The Diocese of Leeds Music Department
  
• Bradford Festival Choral Society
  
• The Sheffield Chorale
  
• organrecitals.com - comprehensive listing service for organ recitals
  
• The Association of British Choral Directors
• The Incorporated Society of Musicians
• Regent Records
• Ripon Cathedral Choir
  
• St. George's Music Shop - support an excellent independent music retailer!