The Memorial Hall pipe organ is an iconic instrument, at the heart of Bishop's Stortford College and an integral part of our heritage.

In celebration of the restoration programme spanning five months, we are privileged to host a pipe organ recital performed by two leading organists, Eleni Keventsidou and James Gough. It is particularly exciting for us to welcome Eleni and James back to Bishop's Stortford College; Eleni was Organist and Musician in Residence for 2 years from 2008 and James for 4 years from 2010. 

We are thrilled to invite you to join us for a wonderful evening in the company of these renowned performers and look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a memorable night!

Please consider whether your child, if they are under 10 years old, will be able to engage with and enjoy this programme at 7.30pm.

About Eleni Keventsidou 

Eleni was born in Athens and started playing the piano at the age of 8 with Danae Stavraki and continued with Kate Trulli at the Athens National Conservatory, where she graduated in 1995 with a unanimous First Prize. In 1998 she was awarded a three- year scholarship by the ‘Friends of Music Society’ in order to study the organ with Nicolas Kynaston at the Athens Concert Hall.

She continued her studies as an Alexander S. Onassis Foundation scholar with Nicolas Kynaston and David Titterington at the Royal Academy of Music in London and graduated from the Postgraduate Performance Course in 2004 with a Distinction. In 2004 she was awarded the ‘Margaret and Sydney Lovett Organ Prize’ and the ‘United Music Publishers Ensemble Prize’ (Royal Academy, London). In 2007 she was awarded the Artistic Director’s Prize at Mikael Tariverdiev International Organ Competition in Kaliningrad, Russia.

Eleni has performed as a soloist and ensemble player in major festivals in Greece, Cyprus, Romania, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Finland, Poland, USA. She has collaborated with the Capella Istropolitana, the Athens Radio and State Orchestras, the Athens Camerata and the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra.

She has also performed in the Celebrity Organ Recital of RCO Winter Conference in 2021 and in the recital series dedicated to the 70 years of the organ at Royal Festival Hall in June 2024. Eleni has participated in a joint recording project with the Royal Academy of Music and the Southwark and South London Organ Society, playing at the Royal Festival Hall. She participated in a CD recording of English Choral music with the Rugby School Choirs. She has recently recorded works of Bach, Liszt and  Reger at Royal Hospital School, Ipswich and works for violin and organ at Rugby School for Ravensbury Records. Her cd of  Reger’s Op. nos. 46, 60 and 73  has just been released by Selby Abbey Organ Masters.

Eleni has been Organist-in-Residence at Tonbridge School, Bilton Grange School and Bishop's Stortford College. Currently she teaches piano- and organ at Rugby School, Eltham College and London Performing Academy of Music (LPMAM). She was appointed Organist of the French Protestant Church in September 2023. Eleni obtained her PhD in Organ Performance of Max Reger’s Variations Op. 73 on a full studentship at Christ Church University, Canterbury in 2016.

In 2023 she was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).

About James Gough

James is a highly sought-after recitalist and the Assistant Organist at Southwark Cathedral. He began his organ studies with Huw Tregelles Williams OBE, before moving to Bristol where James read Music and continued his organ studies with Dr David Ponsford. In 2009 James completed a Master’s degree in Organ Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, where his principal organ teacher was Nicolas Kynaston. During his time at the Academy, James completed the FRCO diploma, as well as the Licentiate diploma of the RAM, and was the recipient of several Academy prizes including the Eric Thiman Organ Prize. In recognition of his achievements he was selected to perform for the visit of Sir Elton John.

As a recitalist, James has played the complete works of J. S. Bach and Cesar Franck, and performed at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues including St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, The Temple Church and Bath Abbey. Further afield James has given several recitals in France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and recent performances have included visits to the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, the Herforder Orgelsommer in Germany and the Dulwich Festival of Music in London. Forthcoming recitals are planned for Bern, Switzerland, and Osnabrück Dom, Germany, as well as several across the UK.

James recently recorded the Trio Sonatas of J. S. Bach at Clifton Cathedral, which will be released on the Naxos label in 2024. This project came about following a collaboration with Dame Gillian Weir in which Dame Gillian gave an extensive analysis of the works, whilst James played the sonatas as part of an event for the Clifton International Festival of Music.

James is very passionate about contemporary music and has given premieres of works by Piet Kee, Diana Burrell and David Bednall to great acclaim.

He has held positions at St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Bride’s, Fleet Street and St Matthew’s, Westminster, and spent a year covering the Assistant Organist role at Wells Cathedral, having been Organist and Musician in Residence at Bishop's Stortford College between 2010-2014. Alongside a busy performance career, James teaches the organ at the Royal College of Music Junior Department and at Westminster School.