Stephen Cleobury

Who is Stephen Cleobury?

Dr Stephen Cleobury CBE is an English organist and conductor. He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral in 1979. He was also the President of the Royal College of Organists from 1990 to 1992. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Music, and an Honorary Doctor of Music at Anglia Ruskin University.

In 1982 he took up the position of Director of Music for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he also teaches music. He was conductor of Cambridge University Musical Society from 1983 to 2009, and made many recordings with that group, including Verdi’s Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr’s The Death of Moses. As part of the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University, he premiered Peter Maxwell Davies' The Sorcerer’s Mirror. He was also Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers from 1995 to 2007, and has been Conductor Laureate since 2007.

In 2008 Cleobury was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music. Cleobury was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 Birthday Honours.