David Drury (Organist-in-Residence)

Born in 1961, David Drury is well known to Australian audiences as an organist, choral conductor and composer of choral music. A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, he is only Australian to win the ‘Tournemire prize’ for improvisation at the St Alban’s International Organ Competition (1987). He has been organist at Christ Church St Laurence, Director of Music at St James’ King Street and Director of Music at St Paul’s College.

David has toured England, France, Germany, Canada, USA and New Zealand as a recitalist, and appeared as organ soloist with the Sydney, Adelaide and West Australian symphony orchestras, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

David plays regularly with the Sydney Symphony, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Australian Baroque Brass and early music group Camerata Antica. David has recorded four solo compact discs as well as appearing on numerous recordings with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Song Company, Cantilation and a trumpet and organ recording with John Foster.

David has recently toured the UK, Paris and Italy as organist with the choirs of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney and the Pilgrim Church, Adelaide. David is Director of Music Emeritus at St Paul’s College at the University of Sydney. As well as organist and composer duties at College, David is also organist at St Benedict’s Church, Broadway and ‘Organist in residence’ at Newcastle Cathedral. At the end of 2024, he will be organist with the St Paul’s College Chapel Choir when they sing at Canterbury, York, St Paul’s Cathedrals in the UK and St Eustache, la Madeleine and St Sulpice in Paris. His choral music is published by Crescendo Music Publications. David also directs the David Jones Staff Christmas Choir. For something completely different, he and his nephew Matthew Roberts form the ‘Salisbury Institute’, an electronic dance music collaboration and have just released their third EP.