NICHOLAS JACKSON - formerly Organist & Master of the Choristers at St Davids Cathedral, has also been Organist of two of London’s most famous churches - St James’s Piccadilly and St Lawrence Jewry-next-Guildhall.
He is known internationally as an organ recitalist, harpsichordist and composer, making frequent concert tours of Europe and the U.S.A. He has played twice at Notre Dame, Paris, at Chartres, the Teatro Real, Madrid, in the Granada Festival and has given recitals in London at the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and a ‘Celebrity Recital’ at St Paul’s Cathedral. His several CD recordings include two of his own compositions, (one for NAXOS at Chartres & one for HERALD in Paris), Bach’s Christmas Organ Music at New College, Oxford for SOMM, and one of Spanish Organ Music at Segovia Cathedral for PRIORY. He has recorded his music for Organ & Trumpet with Maurice Murphy on NAXOS.
Nicholas Jackson made his debut as a harpsichordist at the Wigmore Hall & later played five Harpsichord Concertos by Bach with his own Chamber Orchestra, Concertante of London at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. They recorded 2 LPs for R.C.A. and made several annual concert tours of Spain. Nicholas Jackson was also a regular member of the London Virtuosi, soloists of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Concertante of London was reformed as a one to a part Baroque Ensemble in 2002 with the cream of London’s young baroque instrumentalists. Their recent CD (SOMMCD077) of Nicholas Jackson’s new realisation of Bach’s ‘Musical Offering,’ together with the first CD recording of Gustav Leonhardt’s reconstruction of Bach’s incomplete Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1059 was released in 2009. Since 2004 Concertante of London have annually played The Banqueting House, Whitehall and have been engaged to play there again for the eighth consecutive year in 2011. They have also played annually at the Handel House Museum & frequently for The London Chamber Music Society including at King’s Place, London’s newest Concert Hall.
As a composer, Nicholas Jackson had an initial success with his still popular ‘Mass for a Saint’s Day’ (originally published by Boosey & Hawkes and recorded by Winchester Cathedral for Decca). This is also included on the new NAXOS CD that has just been released of his Choral Music sung by the Rodolfus Choir at Eton College Chapel. In 2009 he wrote his ‘Four Temperaments’ (a Piano Concertino) when he was made ‘guest composer’ for the Split Society of contemporary Music, which was performed at Split. His Piano Trio for Horn, Cello & Piano was commissioned by the Little Venice Music Festival in 2011. His music is written in a modern-romantic idiom unashamedly admitting to the influences of Langlais, Durufle and Messiaen. He has also composed an Opera – ‘The Reluctant Highwayman’ which was produced at Broomhill 1995.
Sir Nicholas Jackson is an Honorary Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford and Hon Patron of the College Music Society.