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It’s difficult to find instances where “classical music” and “social media sensation” can be paired together in the same sentence, and even more difficult when adding the word “organist” into the mix. Enter Anna Lapwood, classical music’s modern enigma. Cited as “the world’s most visible organist” by the New York Times, Lapwood has garnered a social a media audience of over two million followers, collaborated with a range of artists from Max Richter to Bonobo, given an organ lesson to Tom Cruise and as of this year has been appointed the first “Official Organist” at the Royal Albert Hall, where she can be often heard practising late into the night.
Growing up in High Wycombe, primarily listening to evangelical hymns with her father, a vicar, Lapwood came to the organ via a variety of other instruments. It took reaching grade eight standard on the Piano, Violin, Viola and becoming the principal harpist for the National Youth Orchestra for Lapwood to finally land on the organ bench.
Why the organ?
In an interview with Fifteen Questions, Lapwood admits she found the organ a great challenge at first, creating melodic lines with both her hands and feet. She also suggests that the organ’s ability to replicate various timbres satisfies her fascination for experimenting with different instruments, especially since every organ is slightly different, providing opportunities for discovery.
These early explorations eventually led her to becoming the first woman to be awarded an organ scholarship at Magdalen College Oxford in the college’s six-century history. Continually breaking records, Lapwood was appointed as Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge, at age 21, becoming the youngest person to take up the position. She remained in the position until this year, when she left to focus on her performing career.
Can you tell me about Anna Lapwood’s musical persona?
It’s easy to see why The Guardian described Lapwood as ‘The best ambassador for classical music since Bernstein’: by performing with artists such as Bonobo and utilising social media, Lapwood is reaching out to entirely new audiences. ’ She is a charismatic performer and, unlike many, she makes a point of engaging directly with her audiences during concerts, which helps to explain why, only last month, 10,000 people queued to listen to her free concert at Cologne Cathedral.
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What kind of music does Anna Lapwood perform?
Anna Lapwood’s repertoire ranges from Saint Saëns to Max Richter to Lapwood’s arrangements of film scores – a genre for which she has a particular affection. She is also a great champion for women in classical music. During her tenure at Pembrooke, she founded the Pembroke girls’ choir and ran the Cambridge organ experience for girls. In addition, she has curated 12 new works for organ by 12 female composers for the British music publisher Stainer and Bell.
What was her most recent performance?
It seems fitting that after spending so much time in the small hours of the morning practising in The Royal Albert Hall that Lapwood curated the first late night prom in 40 years, starting at 11pm and finishing at 7am. To that, she invited the Japanese pianist and composer Hyato Sumino, the Barokksolistene, 12 Ensemble, as well as performing herself and conducting the Pembroke College Chapel Choir.