Kerry Beaumont - Organ

Kerry Beaumont was born in Cambridge, England, and began his musical education as a chorister at Ripon Cathedral in Yorkshire, starting organ lessons with Ronald Perrin. After his family emigrated to Canada he continued organ studies with Peter Daly (Toronto), John Weaver (Philadelphia), Antoine Reboulot (Quebec) and Pierre Cochereau (France). He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and a Master of Music degree in 20th Century Music and Composition from Durham University (U.K.).  He won the International Organ Improvisation Competition in San Anselmo, California, in 1986 and was a finalist in 1988 International Organ Improvisation Competition in Haarlem, The Netherlands.  Upon completion of the diplomas at the Royal College of Organists in 1989 he was awarded the Coventry Cathedral Recital Award and seven other prizes. He was Organist and Master of the Choristers at St. Davids Cathedral in Wales 1990-94, Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral 1994-2002, and in 2006 he was appointed Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral. He has been an international recitalist for over thirty years, with organ recordings on the Cantoris and Herald labels. His recent release "Golden Jubilee!" on the Coventry Cathedral organ, celebrating its fiftieth year, has been critically acclaimed, and it contains nine world première recordings of recent British organ works.