St Margaret's organist wins Queen's Award

Awarded every year to an outstanding individual or group of musicians, The Queen’s Medal for Music was first presented to Sir Charles Mackerras on 22nd November 2005, the feast day of St Cecilia, patron saint of music. The award came at the suggestion of former Master of The Queen’s Music, the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Thomas Trotter said:

I am deeply honoured. To have my work recognised in this way is totally unexpected and highly gratifying, and it is a privilege to join the list of distinguished recipients of this award.

He became Organist at St Margaret’s in 1982. A year later he was appointed Birmingham City Organist and in 2002 won the Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumental award and he received honorary Doctorates from both of Birmingham’s Universities in 2003 and 2006. In 2012 he was named Performer of the Year by the New York Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and in 2016 he was awarded the Medal of the Royal College of Organists.

He has toured on four continents, and has played at many International Festivals such as Bath, Salzburg, Edinburgh and the Proms. He regularly inaugurates new instruments both at home and abroad, and he has recorded for Hyperion, Chandos, Regent, EMI and Decca.

The nominating process for the award is overseen by a committee chaired by the Master of The Queen's Music, Judith Weir who said:

This year’s medal salutes a world famous organist who has done so much to widen and brighten the realm of this great instrument.