Iain Quinn

Born in Cardiff, Iain Quinn began his musical training as a chorister at Llandaff Cathedral. After initial studies of the piano and trumpet at the Welsh College of Music and Drama he concentrated on the organ. His teachers in the UK included Robert Court and Nicolas Kynaston. Since moving to the USA, he has studied with John Weaver at The Juilliard School, New York, Larry Allen at The Hartt School, University of Hartford, where he graduated with the Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude and with Thomas Murray and William Porter (Improvisation) at the Institute of Sacred Music, Yale University, where he graduated with a Master in Music. He has also studied at the International Academy for Organists in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Iain holds the diploma of Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music, with distinction. At fourteen he was appointed Director of Music at St. Michael’s Theological College, Llandaff and became the youngest person ever to hold the post. In 1993 he joined the faculty of the Blackheath Conservatoire, London. After moving to the USA in 1994 he became Director of Music at the historic Church of the Intercession, New York and later the Church of the Holy Name (RC), New York. From 1998-2005, he served as Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church, Hartford, Connecticut, where he is also founded the Trinity Choristers. He has also served as director for the Royal School of Church Music Summer Course in New England and is a National Examiner for the RSCM. In 2004, he served on the faculty of the Sewanee Church Music Conference, the oldest church music conference of the Episcopal Church, in addition to lecturing at universities throughout North America on the subject of Russian Organ Music. In 2005 he was appointed Director of Cathedral Music at the Cathedral Church of St. John, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since his concert debut in London, Iain has recorded and performed extensively throughout the world and made broadcasts in several countries for both radio and television. Several composers have written works dedicated to him, including Leslie Howard, Wilfred Josephs, Askell Masson, Leonard Salzedo and Amaral Vieira. Iain has written for Musical Opinion, Choir and Organ and The American Organist magazines. As a composer, his Introits for the Liturgical Year, Preces and Responses (St. John’s), and Preces and Responses (Trinity, New Haven) are published by Paraclete Press. His organ work Continuum, featured in tonight’s programme (which was premiered at Notre Dame, Paris in 2005 by Maxine Thevenot) is published by Clarion Publications along with transcriptions of works by Grainger and Rachmaninoff. In 2006 he completed a setting of O esca viatorum for the University of New Mexico choirs and also a setting of Adam lay ybounden for the Advent Lessons & Carols service at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. The recipient of numerous honours, he was awarded a Fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to research the historic organs of Brazil and an award from The Prince’s Trust to further cultural exchange within the European Union. He has recently been featured in profiles by Choir and Organ magazine, The Organ and Organist’s Review.

Continuum (2005) was performed during the 2006 AFNOM festival in London.

Contact information

Iain Quinn
Tel: +505 247 1581 (ext.12)
Email: iain.quinn@musician.org
www.composersforum.org/member_profile.cfm?oid=6029