BIOGRAPHY

Organist and composer DAVID HICKEN captivates audiences with his musical storytelling, dazzling virtuosity, and emotionally rich, original compositions. In addition to his live performances, David has cultivated a large international following through his recordings and online presence, boasting over 82,000 YouTube subscribers and 50 million video views. His compositions for organ and piano are performed by musicians worldwide, and he is widely regarded as one of the few living composers who actively tours with his music.

David’s growing catalog of compositions fuses Baroque counterpoint and Romantic expressiveness with cinematic atmosphere and contemporary structure. These original works, ranging from meditative chorales to tour-de-force toccatas, have made him a favourite among audiences who appreciate music that is both technically thrilling and deeply moving. In 2019, David was invited to perform his original piano works in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk, Russia, much to the delight of his Russian fans.

Raised in a musical family, David began piano lessons at the age of three with his mother, a piano teacher, and later extended his studies to include clarinet at age ten and organ at age twelve. By sixteen, he had earned distinctions in piano, organ, clarinet, and music theory through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. His formative exposure to choral and organ music fostered a lasting connection to the English cathedral tradition.

David was a three-time award winner at the Oundle International Organ Festival, as well as a laureate of the Huddersfield Organ Festival, and later received a major music scholarship to Stowe School in Buckinghamshire. His early career featured distinguished performances at St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Cathedral in London, as well as the cathedrals of Chester and Newcastle, and St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. He also appeared as soloist with the Oxford Symphony Orchestra, performing Handel’s Organ Concerto in F major, earning critical praise for his expressive interpretation and technical finesse.

After studying with Nicholas Danby in London, David moved to the United States at the age of seventeen to study with Donald Sutherland at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. A concert with the Westchester Symphony Orchestra as featured soloist led to a two-album contract with Laserlight Records, which released Symphony Gothique and A Christmas Pastorale globally.

Today, David Hicken continues to share his artistry through concerts, commissions, and masterclasses. A rare artist who bridges centuries of tradition with a living creative voice, David brings new life to the concert stage in approaching every recital as not merely a performance, but an immersive experience of musical craftsmanship, emotional connection, and timeless inspiration.

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