Daniel Cook (born 7 September 1979) is an organist, conductor and singer. Since Autumn 2017 he has been Master of the Choristers and Organist at Durham Cathedral.[1]
In 2013 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).
Cook's first organ teacher was Keith Wright at Durham Cathedral. After a gap year as Organ Scholar of Worcester Cathedral, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Nicolas Kynaston, James O'Donnell and Patrick Russill, whilst also working as Organ Scholar of Southwark Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Upon graduating with first-class honours, he was appointed Assistant Organist of Westminster Abbey.
In 2005, Cook was appointed Assistant Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral. During his time at Salisbury, Cook made his debut solo organ recordings with Priory Records, a recording company with whom he has released 14 solo CDs to date. Most of these have been made on the world-famous Father Willis Organ in Salisbury, whose digital sampling for the Hauptwerk organ software Cook oversaw. Alongside his duties at the cathedral, Cook also conducted The Farrant Singers and founded The Mousai Singers, a group which he still conducts.
Cook left Salisbury in 2011 to take up the posts of Organist & Master of the Choristers at St Davids Cathedral and Artistic Director of the St Davids Cathedral Festival.[2] During his time in St Davids, Cook was also Music Director of the Dyfed Choir.[3]
In 2013, Cook was appointed Sub-Organist of Westminster Abbey.[4] He played the organ for several special services broadcast on BBC Television, including services of thanksgiving on the 70th anniversary of VE Day[5] and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.[6] He accompanied the Abbey Choir on a CD release of music by Hubert Parry on Hyperion, which includes his own arrangement of Blest Pair of Sirens.[7]
In 2017 he took up the office of Master of the Choristers and Organist at Durham Cathedral in Autumn 2017, succeeding James Lancelot who had held the position for 32 years.[1]
