1:15pm, Thursday 17 May 2018
St Pancras Parish Church, NW1 2BA

Douglas Tang performs a recital showcasing the Festival’s organ commissions as well as recent submissions from Call for Scores, including music by Diana Burrell, Michael Berkeley, Gregory Rose, Alison Willis, Mark Bellis and Robin Holloway

Festival commissionCall for Scores submission

Douglas Tang

Douglas Tang is a sought-after British conductor and keyboardist. Currently based in London, he was previously Assistant Director of Music of St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney and Chapel Organist of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. A former organ scholar of King’s College, Cambridge, he has also held posts at Hereford Cathedral and Croydon Minster.

Born in Hong Kong, Douglas emigrated to England after having won the highest music scholarship to board at Harrow School. Transferring as a day pupil to Dulwich College on a music and organ scholarship, he originally was to attend conservatoire for the piano and flute, having achieved diplomas in both instruments. Discovering his love for the organ at a late stage, he subsequently read music at King’s College, Cambridge whilst being Organ Scholar. At King’s, in addition to his daily duties of accompanying and helping train the chapel choir for services, broadcasts, concerts, and tours, he pursued a freelance career in performing, accompanying and conducting. He has performed all over the world in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Washington National Cathedral, and Cadogan Hall. He has also had the privilege of working and performing, both as a keyboardist and a flautist, with many of the world’s finest ensembles, including the Philharmonia, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestra for the Age of Enlightenment, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia and the London Sinfonietta amongst others.

Douglas has an extensive discography and is also a multiple prizewinner, most notably of the Brian Runnett Prize and Sir Anthony Lewis Memorial Prize. As a performer, reviews have praised him on his affinity with both Bach and romantic repertoire and he has been described as “one of the foremost musicians of his generation”. An experienced conductor, Douglas has worked with orchestras, ensembles, singers and instrumentalists of all ages and standards. Chorally, he has worked with many different choirs around the United Kingdom, including the Philharmonia Chorus, the Cantus Ensemble, Cantabile, the choirs of the Three Choirs Festival, Cambridge Choral Society and many more. Recent engagements have included a wide range of activities from conducting the choir of Exeter College, Oxford at the Tower of London, to performing in “Christmas with the Stars” at the Royal Albert Hall.

Douglas is also busy as a pianist working in opera, song work and in the coaching of students from the London conservatoires. He teaches the organ and piano, and has taught on Eton Choral Courses, Oundle for Organists and courses for the Royal College of Organists.