Richard Pinel is a freelance organist and choral conductor, a Professor of Organ at the Royal Academy of Music and Director of Music at St Mary’s, Bourne Street in Belgravia. Until December 2022 he was a Fellow and the Director of Music at Jesus College, Cambridge. Prior to his position at Jesus College, Richard was Assistant Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and he previously held the organ scholarship at St Albans Cathedral.

Hailing from Northampton, where he was a chorister and later organ scholar at All Saints’ Church, Richard was awarded the organ scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford in 2002. During this time, the Grammy-nominated college choir undertook several recording projects with Harmonia Mundi, on which Richard’s playing was hailed as ‘a force of nature’. More recently, Richard has enjoyed competition success, winning the First Prize and both special prizes at the Breda International Organ Competition. Between 2017 and 2021 he was Director of the Edington Festival.

Richard is also on the teaching staff at Eton College, and is a regular tutor on Oundle for Organists courses. His organ CD, L’Orgue Symphonique, has been praised for its ‘electrifying impact’ and ‘truly tremendous verve’ and his latest release (as conductor), the world premiere recording of Grayston Ives’ Requiem with Jesus College Choir and Britten Sinfonia (Signum Records) entered the classical charts in the top ten. Recitals have taken him across the UK, notably King’s College, Cambridge and St John’s, Smith Square and further afield to Europe and the USA.