Thomas Trotter is one of Britain’s most widely admired musicians. In May 2002 he received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Instrumentalist Award in recognition of his particular achievements in 2001, cited as one of the foremost exponents of the organist’s art. The excellence of his musicianship has also long been recognised internationally in his musical partnerships.

He performs as soloist with, amongst many others, the conductors Sir Simon Rattle, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly and Sir Charles Mackerras. He has performed recitals in Berlin’s Philharmonie, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, both the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus in Vienna and London’s Royal Festival Hall. He has given the opening recital on new or restored organs in places such as Cleveland’s Severance Hall (Ohio), Princeton University Chapel (New Jersey), the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and St David’s Hall in Cardiff and he is regularly asked to perform on major historic instruments such as those at St Ouen in Rouen, St Bavo’s in Haarlem (Netherlands), Weingarten Abbey in Germany and Woolsey Hall at Yale University. He has appeared at the festivals of Salzburg, Berlin, Vienna, Edinburgh and London’s BBC Proms, and performs with leading orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. He made his first American appearance with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 1987.

Thomas Trotter’s career is also firmly founded on his relationship with the City of Birmingham in England. Here he was appointed City Organist in 1983, in succession to Sir George Thalben-Ball, and also a Resident Organist of the magnificent Klais organ at Symphony Hall in the city, where he gave the opening recital in October 2001. He is also Organist at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, in London and visiting Professor of Organ at the Royal College of Music, also in London.

Earlier in his career he was an organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, and he later continued his studies with Marie-Claire Alain in Paris where he took the Prix de Virtuosité in her class. He won First Prize at the St Albans International Organ Competition in 1979 and made his début in London’s Royal Festival Hall the following year. In addition to his weekly recitals in Birmingham, Thomas Trotter regularly performs throughout the United States and Europe.

He is an active recording artist and of his several recordings, releases of Messiaen and Mozart have been named Critics’ Choice in Gramophone magazine. He received a Grand Prix du Disque for his recording of music by Liszt in 1995.