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The English organist, Robert Costin, was a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral, under the direction of Christopher Gower. During this period his passion for choral, organ and keyboard music in general was first awakened. Attendance at King’s, the Cathedral School, was followed by the award of a major music scholarship to Oundle School where Robert gained his ARCO diploma at the age of 17 (1988). In his final year at Oundle Robert held the Organ Scholarship at St. Matthew’s Church, Northampton. Robert maintained his links with Oundle for many years as a tutor to aspiring young organists at the Oundle International Organ Festival. On leaving school he spent a year at the Royal Academy of Music (1989-1990), studying organ with Nicholas Danby and harpsichord with John Toll, as well as participating in master-classes given by such prominent musicians as Gillian Weir and Gaston Litaize. Robert gained his FRCO diploma at the age of 19 (1990) and went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1990, having been awarded an organ scholarship. As well as reading for a degree in music, Robert studied organ with David Sanger and directed the Pembroke Chapel Choir for numerous services and concerts, including a tour of Romania in 1992. He graduated in 1993 with Master of Arts (MA) in Music.
Graduation in 1993 was followed by a move to New Zealand to take up the post of Assistant Director of Music at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington. During this period Robert Costin became a National Recording Artist for New Zealand Radio and won the 2nd Prize at the First Hamilton International Organ Competition. Subsequent posts in New Zealand included acting as interim Director of Music at Auckland Cathedral, before making the move back to the UK to take up the position of Assistant Director of Music at Blackburn Cathedral.
In 1996 Robert Costin moved from cathedral music into the field of education, taking up the post of Assistant Director of Music and Organist at Worksop College (1996-2001), followed in 2001 by a similar position at Bedford School (2001-2007). At Bedford Robert was in charge of directing the Chapel Choir, the making of a CD and the organising of several national and international tours, which included venues in Paris, Rome and Ireland. Robert has been Director of Music at Ardingly College in West Sussex since September 2007.
Robert Costin's recital venues in recent years have included Washington National Cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Worcester Cathedral. He made his concerto debut with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in April 2011. He has also performed extensively in Australasia, North America and Europe. Robert has appeared regularly as a broadcaster and performer on Radio New Zealand's Concert FM, most recently a 'Composer of the Week' talk on the life and music of Tomás Luis de Victoria, and his recordings have featured on the popular USA radio programme Pipedreams.
The critical acclaim following his first solo CD “Organ Triumphant” (Kiwi Pacific)was matched by that of his second CD devoted to the organ music of Herbert Howells (Atoll). A CD of music by Franz Liszt and Reubke recorded on the organ of Wellington Town Hall was released in 2008 (Atoll). A CD of early English organ music made on the historic organ or Pembroke College, Cambridge was released in May 2011 (Atoll). His latest CD is “Bach: Goldberg Variations”, played on the organ of Pembroke College, Cambridge (Stone Records, 2013). |
