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Piano | Organ | Theory
Andrew Bryden is an established and well known musician in the UK having worked in education and performance for over thirty years. As Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral he planned and led a significant expansion of the Cathedral's musical life focussing on community engagement and partnership. Recruiting, training, and directing children from local schools in the Cathedral Choir, Andrew has a unique perspective on the benefits of musical experience and education. Unusual among cathedral musicians, Andrew is a qualified teacher and taught both classroom and individual instrumental lessons in schools in Ripon and Canterbury to children from age 5 to 18 including GCSE and A Level. As a private music tutor, Andrew's pupils gain from not only this experience, but also his work as a performer, composer, and ABRSM examiner. Throughout his career, Andrew has continued to teach privately alongside his other commitments.
Andrew studied music as an organ scholar at Aberdeen University, and specialised in performance and editorial techniques. His organ teachers included Roger Bevan Williams, George McPhee, and Timothy Byram-Wigfield. Toward the end of his university studies, Andrew was appointed Organ Scholar and subsequently Assistant Organist of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen. After graduation Andrew moved to Sheffield as Director of Music of St. John’s Church, Ranmoor. Here he maintained and developed the historic music tradition established by his predecessors. Andrew returned to cathedral music as Organ Scholar (including a brief spell as Acting Assistant Organist) of Canterbury Cathedral, and combined this work with the posts of Teacher in charge of Music at a local state school, and later as Head of Academic Music at St. Edmund’s School, Canterbury. Coming to Ripon, he was Assistant Organist of Ripon Cathedral, and Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral Choir School prior to becoming Director of Music solely at Ripon Cathedral.
As an accompanist and recitalist Andrew has played at many of the major venues in the United Kingdom, and has undertaken tours to Holland, Germany, Austria and North America. He has broadcast on both BBC and independent radio and television and has made a number of CD recordings on various labels. In addition to his private teaching and performing, Andrew is active as a composer, published by Encore Publications; examines in both the UK and abroad for ABRSM, and holds a teaching post and management role at a local community school.