Thomas Gaynor

From Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

Sub Organist (Honorary), Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

Thomas first began playing piano at the age of ten. Having been interested in learning the organ for a number of years, he began lessons when he was 13 years old. He was appointed Junior Organ Scholar of Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul in the same year. By the age of 15, he had earned Grade Eight from ABRSM in both instruments. Under the tutelage of Judith Clark CNZM he won first prize in the Recital Class at the Piano Plus music competition in 2007. He continues to study piano under Ms Clark as well as taking liturgical organ and voice lessons from from Michael Fulcher. Douglas Mews is his organ tutor at the NZSM, where he is in the second year of the BMus programme. In 2009 he won first place at both the NZAO Organ Performance Competition and the intermediate section of the Sydney Organ Competition.

Thomas has worked as accompanist for a number of choirs' tours, including the Kotuku Choir tour to USA and London in 2008 and the London-based Tiffin Boys' Choir's tour of New Zealand in 2009, for which he played such pieces as Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" and Britten's "Rejoice in the Lamb." He also toured with the Choir of Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul in 2008, as a choir member and Junior Organ Scholar. He had the privilege of both singing and playing in renowned churches and cathedrals such as St. Georges Chapel, Windsor, Westminster Abbey, and Ste. Eustache, Paris. He continues to be a part of the music department of Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul being in his second year of the Richard Prothero Organ Scholarship and as a member of the Cathedral Choir and Cathedral Consort. This year he was awarded the Ian Pollard Organ Scholarship and more recently the Inaugural Maxwell Fernie Centenary Award. The latter provides funding for university fees and travel abroad that will enable Thomas to receive coaching from leading European players and experience some of the continent's fine organs.