Carolyn Craig, M.M.A.’22, Westminster Abbey’s new organ scholar
Carolyn Craig being presented with her diploma by David Hill at Southwark Cathedral in March.
Congratulations to Carolyn Craig, M.M.A.’22 who has just been appointed as the 2023-2024 organ scholar at London’s Westminster Abbey. For the last year, Carolyn has served as organ scholar at the nearby Westminster Cathedral.
Carolyn has had a penchant for English cathedral life for some years now. After graduating from Indiana University with her Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance (with minors in Conducting and German), Carolyn moved to the U.K. to be the organ scholar at Truro Cathedral. There she fell in love with the rhythm of life in the cathedral and thrived on the combination of musicianship and teaching. A desire to hone her skills in organ repertoire, conducting, and improvisation drew her to Yale, where she studied organ with Martin Jean and Jon Laukvik, conducting with Marguerite Brooks and David Hill, and improvisation with Jeff Brillhart. Upon graduation, she returned to England as organ scholar of Westminster Cathedral.
Carolyn has won multiple awards in the last year, including the Royal College of Organists’ (RCO) Limpus/Shinn/Durant and Dr. F. J. Read Prizes for highest organ performance score and highest score overall in the FRCO examinations. She is pictured here receiving her diploma at the RCO conferment ceremony at Southwark Cathedral from David Hill, president of the RCO and adjunct professor of choral conducting at the ISM.
Carolyn doesn’t have to move far—Westminster Abbey is located just a few hundred yards away from Westminster Cathedral. She is thoroughly looking forward to working with Andrew Nethsingha, organist and master of the choristers, and with sub-organist Peter Holder and assistant organist Matthew Jorysz.