ORGANIST - CONDUCTOR
RACHEL MAHON
Recent and upcoming engagements include an opening concert for the Montreal Symphony; the Royal Canadian College of Organists' National Convention 2016; Orgelsommer Festivals 2016 & 2017, Lüneburg, Germany; The Toronto Bach Festival 2018; Haderslev Cathedral, Denmark; and the Lichfield Festival. Rachel has appeared on radio as performer and presenter, most recently accompanying the BBC Singers in Choral Evensong and presenting This is My Music on CBC radio and Inside Music on BBC radio 3. Funded by a grant awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts, Rachel's debut solo album, featuring all Canadian music on the organ of Coventry Cathedral, was released to excellent reviews - it received five stars in Choir and Organ Magazine and was Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice in March 2020.
Rachel has won numerous awards and competitions in Canada, including a graduating scholarship from the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto and the Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Scholarship from the Royal Canadian College of Organists, and she has just been nominated for the 2020 Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award through the Ontario Arts Council. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Toronto, where she studied with Professor John Tuttle and since moving to the UK, she has studied with Henry Fairs at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Whilst pursuing her degree, Rachel was the Bevan Organ Scholar at Trinity College, Toronto, as well as the Principal Organist at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. She has also held organ scholarships at St James Cathedral, Toronto and Truro Cathedral, UK. In 2014, she was named one of the top 30 musicians under 30 in Canada by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
In 2012, Rachel and fellow organist Sarah Svendsen founded the duo Organized Crime and the two organists aim to entertain audiences with their music and crazy antics. The pair have toured across Canada many times and performed in the opening concert of the Montreal Organ Festival in 2017 and at the RCCO National Convention in Halifax in 2019.
Rachel Mahon is based at Coventry Cathedral, where she was Assistant Director of Music and is now the Director of Music, and responsible for training and conducting the Cathedral Choir and running the music programme. Prior to this, she was Assistant Organist at Chester Cathedral where she worked regularly with the Cathedral Choir.
Rachel was Organ Scholar at St Paul's Cathedral in London, England from 2014-2016, and made history as the first female organist on staff in its 1400-year history. As one of the full time organists, she gave recitals and regularly played and conducted for services, working with the world famous Cathedral Choir in the daily cycle of worship as well as services of National significance.
She combines life as a Cathedral musician with a busy international recital schedule, touring as soloist and as part of Organized Crime Duo.