James O'Donnell
Yale University and Westminster Abbey musician directs Choral Evensong Festival, followed by organ recital; free admission
Sunday, May 16, 2027, 5:30pm
James O’Donnell, one of the leading organists of his generation, performs a solo recital on the Rosales/Parsons organ at St. James by-the-Sea. O’Donnell is Professor in the Practice of Organ at the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Before joining Yale, he served for twenty-three years as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, where he directed the music for daily services and many of Britain’s most significant royal, state, and national occasions.
As a recitalist, O’Donnell has appeared throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, performing in major concert halls, churches, cathedrals, and festivals. His playing combines architectural command and rhythmic poise with a refined ear for color, balance, and the character of each instrument.
At St. James, O’Donnell performs on the 2023 Rosales/Parsons organ. With six divisions, 79 ranks, 102 stops, and 4,551 pipes, the instrument offers exceptional clarity, breadth, and variety of color. Its resources range from intimate solo voices and finely shaded ensembles to the grandeur of the full organ, revealing the expressive possibilities of organ repertoire within the resonant acoustics of the church.
This free recital offers a rare opportunity to hear an artist whose career has united distinguished performance, sacred music, and teaching at the highest international level. Both experienced organ enthusiasts and those encountering the instrument in concert for the first time are warmly invited.
About the Artist
James O'Donnell served for twenty-three years as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, where he led the Abbey's music department, directed the celebrated Choir of Westminster Abbey, and oversaw music for royal, state, and national occasions, including the 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the 2022 State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He is now Professor in the Practice of Organ and Sacred Music at the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Before Westminster Abbey, he served at Westminster Cathedral, first as assistant and later as Master of Music, where the Cathedral Choir won the Gramophone Record of the Year award. Internationally recognized as a conductor, organ recitalist, and teacher, O'Donnell has performed throughout the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, and has worked with many of Britain's leading ensembles.