David Hirst is one of the few British organists to have integrated into the French organ world. Based near Paris, he is Organiste Titulaire of the 12th-century Collegiate Church of Mantes-la-Jolie. He presides over the three organs of this magnificent edifice and is Artistic Director of the International Organ Festival.
As a recitalist, David performs regularly in international festivals. Recent appearances include Chartres, Bourges and Antwerp Cathedrals, St Augustin’s in Paris, the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam, and venues in the UK, Germany and Switzerland.
David holds a master’s degree in music from Cambridge University and a postgraduate diploma with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in London where he studied organ performance under Lionel Rogg. He has also studied under Nicolas Kynaston and Thomas Trotter.
Previous organist appointments include Emmanuel College Cambridge, St Germain du Chesnay in Versailles, and St Martin-in-the-Fields, London’s royal parish church. At St Martin’s, he played for celebrity and royal occasions, concerts and recordings, as well as 30 BBC broadcasts in five years.
David’s discography includes the first CDs ever recorded on the 1897 grand organ by Joseph Merklin in Mantes-la-Jolie. His latest disc was issued to critical acclaim by the Priory label in 2022 (‘These stylish performances are quite sublime’…Organists’ Review).
