PETER YARDLEY-JONES is currently Director of Music & Organist at the Swiss Church in Covent Garden. He graduated with a first-class honours degree in music from the University of Glasgow in June 2010. From 2006-2008 he was University Organ Scholar, playing for services in the historic Memorial Chapel and in 2008 he was appointed Assistant Organist at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow and Organist at Houston & Killellan Kirk. During his time in Glasgow, Peter studied organ with Kevin Bowyer and renowned Bach scholar, Prof. John Butt OBE.
Widely respected as a performer, Peter was awarded the Muriel Thorne Hague Memorial Prize, by the University of Glasgow (2010) for achieving “the greatest distinction in performance” and won first prize in the nationwide Geoffrey Spiers Organ Competition (2005). As a recitalist he has performed solo recitals at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues including Dundee’s famed Caird Hall, The Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow and St John’s College, Cambridge, as part of the Cambridge Summer Music Festival. Peter made his US début in July 2010, performing a recital at the Community of Christ Temple, Missouri, before returning in December to perform at St Thomas Fifth Avenue, New York, and Christ Church, Connecticut. He has performed frequently on tour across the USA since, most recently in 2018 as part of the East Texas Pipe Organ Festival. A passionate educator, Peter joined the faculty of the American Guild of Organists: Pipe Organ Encounter + for the Rockford chapter in 2018. In addition Peter has been organist for several BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 broadcasts and for BBC Television’s Songs of Praise. In 2018, Peter was delighted to be appointed Artist in Residence at Market Square Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Away from the Organ Bench, Peter is becoming increasingly active as a conductor. In 2008, he founded the Clyde Consort, a small chamber ensemble specialising in baroque music, performed on period instruments. In March 2008, he made his first professional conducting début with them, performing Buxtehude’s oratorio: Membra Jesu nostri. Peter conducted the UK première of Fredrik Sixten’s Swedish St Mark’s Passion, on 15 April 2009, which was met with great praise. In 2014, he directed a performance of Bach’s St John Passion from the Harpsichord as part of an all-night Easter Vigil, held at the Swiss Church. Since relocating to London, Peter also tours with soprano Jessica Broad, performing varied programmes across the United Kingdom.
Most of Peter’s time is spent indulging his passion and skill for online advertising technologies where he has become a leader in his field having worked for Machinima (now owned by Warner Bros), Virgin Media, Disney and is currently Head of Operations & Insights for Little Dot Studios.