It is with great joy that the Rector, Wardens, and Vestry call Richard Tanner as the next Nancy B. and John B. Hoffmann Organist and Director of Music of Saint Thomas Church and Choir School.
A passionate advocate for choirs of men and boys, Mr. Tanner has also worked throughout his career to broaden participation in choral music. He brings a wealth of experience as a choral and orchestral conductor, organist, and artistic director, as well as in education, outreach, broadcasting, and the recording industry. One of the greatest influences on his career was Barry Rose—Master of the Choir at St Paul’s Cathedral during Mr. Tanner’s time as a chorister—whose extraordinary skill in training boys to sing left a lasting impact on his own approach to music-making.
Since 2012, Mr. Tanner has served as Director of Music at Rugby School. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is now one of the oldest and most prestigious co-educational boarding schools in Britain. In 2021, Mr. Tanner founded the Rugby Choristers at Bilton Grange—the UK’s newest Anglican choral foundation—comprising separate choirs of boy and girl choristers who sing Choral Evensong six times weekly during term. He is also a director of Festival on The Close, a five-day celebration of culture, creativity, and community.
Reflecting on his appointment, Mr. Tanner writes:
“I am delighted to have been invited by Fr. Turner to join the vibrant community at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. My first experience of Saint Thomas was at Choral Evensong in December 1989, during a visit to see my mother, who was then a visiting professor at General Theological Seminary. Hearing the Choir of Men and Boys sing—and Gerre Hancock’s improvisation at the organ—was a life-changing experience, as was growing up as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral with John Scott at the organ bench. Both Gerre and John showed me great kindness over the years, and I am humbled to be following in their footsteps and in those of Daniel Hyde and Jeremy Filsell, musicians I have long admired.”
“I look forward to building on their legacy, excited by the Vestry’s vision for the future. I am eager to collaborate with the wonderful staff at the church, the choir school, and the Professional Children’s School in developing a strategy of ‘expand to preserve’—broadening the church’s musical outreach while safeguarding the unique legacy of the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys for generations to come.”
“It has been an honour to serve as Director of Music at Rugby School these past thirteen years, working with outstanding students, choristers, musicians, and colleagues. I leave with deep gratitude and many fond memories.”
Mr. Tanner’s distinguished career includes twenty years of regular work as a musical director and organist for BBC Radio 4’s Daily Service, as well as high-profile broadcasts from London’s St Martin-in-the-Fields. His recordings include Messiaen’s La Nativité du Seigneur, Requiem and Organ Concerto by David Briggs, and The Manchester Carols by Carol Ann Duffy and Sasha Johnson Manning. He has worked on over forty commercial recordings as a producer.
He has conducted ensembles including the Malta Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Northern Chamber Orchestra, and the period instrument ensemble Canzona. Past posts include Organist and Director of Music at Blackburn Cathedral, Director of Chapel Music at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, Director of Music at All Saints’ Church Northampton, and Organ Scholar at St. Albans Cathedral and Exeter College, Oxford.
Mr. Tanner is an Honorary Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians, an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He was elected to the Trustee Council of the Royal College of Organists in 2025 and serves as a Trustee of the Rodolfus Choral Foundation.
Mr. Tanner is married to soprano Philippa Hyde, and they have two sons: James, a recent graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London, and Benedict, a Music Scholar at Rugby School who will become Organ Scholar at Chichester Cathedral in September 2025.
Reflecting on his tenure, Gareth Parker-Jones, Head Master of Rugby School, writes:
“Richard has been an outstanding Director of Music at Rugby. Under his leadership Rugby has become one of the leading schools for Music in the UK. A particular highlight has been the establishment of the Rugby Choristers at Bilton Grange, an important and exciting development in choral music in the UK, which has been made possible by Richard’s vision, drive and very considerable talents. We will miss him and his family enormously, but he leaves Rugby with our heartfelt gratitude and our very best wishes for the future. Our loss is very much Saint Thomas’s gain.”
The Rector of Saint Thomas Church, the Rev. Canon Carl Turner, writes:
“We are delighted that Richard has answered this call; he will build on the firm foundation laid by Dr. Filsell, and help us expand our music program strategically over the next few years. The tradition of boy choristers is in his blood, but he has proven an inspirational leader to girls as well and, indeed, to people of all ages. As one of his former colleagues said to me, ‘people want to sing and make music for him.’ We want Saint Thomas to continue to be one of the leading choral foundations in the world, and we also want to share our love of music-making with other children and schools here in New York. Richard will bring his vast experience to bear as we sustain and strengthen our unique choral heritage for future generations.”
We look forward to welcoming Mr. Tanner and his family to New York City later this year. You can read more about Mr. Tanner at his website.
