sound:

George Chittenden is the Assistant Organist to Aberdeen Cathedral; his appointment at the cathedral was made in April 2006, at which time he became the youngest cathedral organist in Great Britain. Alongside the Organist and Master of the Choristers, Dr Andrew Morrisson, George plays an active role in the busy musical life of the cathedral, organising both the intense program of midweek choral services, and also the cathedral concert series, which features an exciting and eclectic blend recitals every week of the year. Alongside this, George is extremely active as both an accompanist and a choral director at the cathedral, working with the cathedral choir on tours across many of the major choral establishments across the British Isles and the USA. While at the University of Aberdeen, George accompanied the majority of university services during his time as David Gordon Memorial Senior Organ Scholar, and featured on Radio 2, Radio 4 and BBC1 with the University Chapel Choir. During this time, George completed a Master of Arts degree in History with Music Studies, focusing on classical music during the Nazi occupation within Denmark; he has now begun a Phd studying aspects of Scandinavian musicology. In addition to doctoral studies, George teaches piano and voice regularly to students of all ages across Aberdeen, and will currently teaches piano to 1st Year music students at the university.

Before moving to Aberdeen, George held positions at Holy Trinity Church in Folkestone, St Augustine's Church in Folkestone, and St Paul's Church in Sandgate. His interest in the organ began at a young age, and was fostered in his playing by George Sharman, who was at the time the Director of Music to Westbrook House Preparatory School. Previously, George has been taught by John Hurd, David Flood and Anne Marsden-Thomas and Roger Williams. He is currently taught by Gerard Brooks.

George is in frequent demand as both a recitalist and an accompanist. In recent years George has performed throughout the British Isles, Europe and the USA, but has a particularly active solo recital career in Scandinavia. George, who is half Swedish, performs regularly in Scandinavia throughout the year, and is equally comfortable working as a musician in Scandinavia as in Great Britain. He has recently performed to high acclaim in Uppsala Cathedral, Sweden, which is Scandinavia's most prolific organ recital venue. As an accompanist, George works regularly with the vast majority of choirs in the northeast of Scotland. Additionally, George is a composer of both choral and organ music, whose works are regularly performed across Great Britain.

• website link for George Chittenden: www.cathedral.aberdeen.anglican.org/musicdepartment.htm
• events with George Chittenden in previous sound festivals
• other artists and composers involved in sound 2009