Rachel Mahon

Rachel Mahon is a Canadian organist and director of music.

She has been the Assistant Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral since 2018 and, it was announced in February 2020, will become the new Director of Music in September, succeeding Kerry Beaumont.[1][2] She is also a performing professional musician.

Before taking up her first post at Coventry, Mahon had been the first female organ scholar of St Paul's Cathedral in London, England, assuming the post in September 2014, and then Assistant Organist at Chester Cathedral.[2][3]

Mahon was raised in Toronto, Ontario, where her parents were both choral directors.[3] She sang with the Girls' Choir of Grace Church on-the-Hill and later the Oratory Children's Choir.[4] She initially began studying piano, but switched to organ in 2005 after hearing the Toccata from Symphony for Organ No. 5 by Charles-Marie Widor.[3] Mahon won a scholarship from the Royal Canadian College of Organists to begin studying with Melva Graham, and in 2007 continued under Andrew Ager. She received the degree of Bachelor of Music in organ at the University of Toronto School of Music under John Tuttle.[5]

Mahon has held organ posts at St. James Cathedral, Trinity College, and Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto and at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, England. She is one of the Canadian organ duo Organized Crime, which "attempts to reinvigorate the instrument by arranging popular music for the organ, playing scores to James Bond and Star Wars wearing five-inch stiletto heels and blue sequined spandex."[3][5][6]

She has won several awards for organ performance, including first place at the 2012 RCCO Toronto Competition for Young Organists, second in the 2013 Canadian National Organ Playing Competition, and a number of awards from the Kiwanis Music Festival. Mahon has performed with a number of choirs: the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Larkin Singers, and the Tallis Choir, among others.[5][7]

As the William and Irene Miller Organ Scholar at St Paul's, Mahon was responsible for directing choir rehearsals, performing for church services, playing in recitals, and acting as assistant choir librarian, among other duties.[7][8]

References
  1. "Appointments". Church Times. London. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  2. Rowat, Robert (6 March 2020). "Meet the new director of music at England's Coventry Cathedral". CBC. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  3. Edmiston, Jake (23 March 2014). "Canadian musician Rachel Mahon named first female organ scholar at St Paul's Cathedral in London". National Post.
  4. "Rachel Mahon". Organix 10. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  5. "Competitors". National Organ Playing Competition. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  6. Mangione, Kendra (2 April 2014). "Toronto musician to become first female organist at iconic cathedral". CTV Canada AM.
  7. "A Cathedral first as new organ scholar is appointed to St Paul's". St Paul's Cathedral. 20 March 2014.
  8. "Truro Cathedral organist takes up St Paul's post as first woman". BBC News. 23 March 2014.
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