Catherine Ennis (Organ)

Born: England

The English organist, Catherine Ennis, has established an international organ recital career, with tours taking her throughout Europe and the USA, and concerts in major UK venues including the Proms and the Royal Festival Hall series. At a recent engagement she astonished a capacity audience at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with her version of J.S. Bach's Musical Offering (BWV 1079) on the small Flentrop organ there.

Catherine Ennis is Organist and Director of Music at the church of St. Lawrence Jewry, the church of the Corporation of London, where her series of Tuesday lunchtime recitals continue a century- long tradition of organ music as midday respite for all, whether City workers, tourists, or afficionados. The series has been enhanced by a fine Klais organ, installed in 2001.

Recordings have included a Guilmant disc for EMI at St. Marylebone Parish Church, London, a disc of English Romantic organ music for IFO, from Muenster Cathedral in Germany, and J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) for Mollterz at St. Lawrence Jewry (on the 5- stop Chapel organ) . Future releases include “Homage to Schweitzer” from St. Lawrence, and the Reubke Sonata from St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh. She has broadcast frequently for the BBC and RTE radio.

Catherine Ennis teaches at Trinity College of Music, London. Oundle International Festival, Edinburgh Organ Academy and Eton Summer School have been among recent teaching and performing engagements. Her diary in the next year (2010) includes appearances in London, Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, and the USA, inter alia.

Uniquely, Catherine Ennis has been has been the catalyst behind three major instruments in London, those at St. Marylebone (Rieger) in 1987 and at St. Lawrence in 2001, and the William Drake organ for Trinity College of Music, Greenwich, installed in 2003. She is currently involved in other organ advisory projects.

Over a decade ago, Catherine Ennis founded the London Organ Concerts Guide, which seeks to persuade a wider audience that the organ can be of more than minority interest. She is Past President of the Incorporated Association of Organists (term 2005-2007), a Trustee of the Nicholas Danby Trust for student organists, former council member of the Royal College of Organists, and writes for various musical journals.

Source: Catherine Ennis Website (April 2009), Spreckels Organ Society Website (August 2009 - Photos by Bob Lang)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2009)

Catherine Ennis: Short Biography | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

Catherine Ennis, Organist (Official Website)
Catherine Ennis - International Concert Organist (PVA)

Catherine Ennis - Concert Organist (Spreckels Summer Organ Festival)