Performer Profile
Ashley Grote
Ashley Grote took up the post of Assistant Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral in April this year. His duties include playing the organ for the Cathedral’s principal services and accompanying the Cathedral choir in their busy schedule of concerts, tours and broadcasts. He also assists the Director of Music in the running of the Cathedral Choir, and conducts the Cathedral’s flourishing Youth Choir who sing evensong weekly. Alongside his work at the Cathedral, Ashley also is accompanist to Gloucester Choral Society, and Conductor of the St Cecilia Singers, with whom he will be giving his first concert on November 8th.
A former Organ Scholar of King’s College, Cambridge, Ashley was Assistant Organist of Westminster Abbey before moving to Gloucester earlier this year. During his time at the Abbey, he took part in many prestigious events that included the service celebrating the Diamond Wedding of HM The Queen in November 2007.
Born in 1982, Ashley was a chorister at King’s College, Cambridge where he began organ lessons with David Goode, and was subsequently top music scholar at Uppingham School. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 2001, winning two prizes. After a year as Organ Scholar of St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town, Ashley returned to Cambridge to study for a degree in music. As Organ Scholar at King’s, he performed worldwide with the famous Chapel Choir in numerous tours, concerts and broadcasts, including the annual ‘Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols’. He was also Assistant Conductor for the Cambridge University Musical Society orchestras.
In demand as a recitalist, Ashley has performed throughout the UK and Europe, with recent engagements including concerts in Germany and Finland, Durham, Hereford and Truro Cathedrals and the 2008 Worcester Three Choirs Festival. He was a prize winner at the Dublin International Organ Competition in 2005, a semi-finalist in the St Albans International Organ Competition in 2007, and has held the prestigious W.T. Best scholarship from the Worshipful Company of Musicians. His playing was described recently as ‘sensitive’ and ‘expressive’ (The Sunday Telegraph). Ashley is also Organist for the Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy which takes place every August. He continues to study in London with Nicolas Kynaston.
