This Calgary Organ Festival 2015 co-presentation features a programme called “Storytime with the King of Instruments.” The programme will feature solo organ works that tell the stories of the Bible, including the Four Biblical Dances of Peter Eben (1929-2007), and the story of David and Goliath as recounted musically in the Biblical Sonata by Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722).

International prize-winning organist Neil Cockburn is Interim Director of Music at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (Anglican) in Calgary, Artistic Director of the Calgary Organ Festival, and Instructor of Organ at the University of Calgary. Celebrated for his diverse repertoire interests and expertise, he performs an all-encompassing spectrum of solo organ recitals on a wide range of instrument types, from all-Bach recitals on historically inspired organs, to symphonic programmes on romantic instruments, and concerts of entirely new works.

Born in Scotland, Neil Cockburn’s musical education was at Oxford University (BA Hons, Music), the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK (MusM, Organ Performance, and the Professional Performance Diploma, PPRNCM), the Conservatoire Nationale de Région Rueil-Malmaison, France (Premier prix de perfectionnement), and the University of Calgary (PhD, Musicology).

He is an avid recruiter and mentor of new organists: he has directed three Pipe Organ Encounter camps in Calgary for young beginner organists. He held the University of Calgary’s Cantos Music Foundation Organ Scholarship from 2006 until 2009. From 2000-2015 he was Head of Organ Studies at Mount Royal Conservatory in Calgary. He offers private organ lessons in Calgary, and also to distance-learning students via the internet. He was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award (Credit Free) by Mount Royal University in June 2014.