Steven Grahl was appointed Principal Conductor of the Guildford Chamber Choir in March 2006. Under his leadership the choir has performed a wide-ranging repertory and worked with the newly founded groups ‘The Guildford Chamber Orchestra’ and ‘Guildford Baroque’. Steven combines this post with that of Organist and Director of Music at St Marylebone Parish Church in London and Assistant Organist at New College, Oxford.
  
Appointed in 2001, Steven has significantly enhanced and developed the vibrant musical life of St Marylebone Parish Church. He directs the professional choir and has overseen the recent establishment of a Youth Choir and an Organ Scholarship. He is custodian of the four manual Rieger Organ (1987), the product of a unique collaboration between St Marylebone and the Royal Academy of Music, and was responsible for its major overhaul in 2004. He has championed the use of this fine instrument through the founding of termly ‘Music after Mass’ concerts and a monthly evening recital series.

Since 2007, Steven has also held the position of Assistant Organist at New College, Oxford. He plays for daily choral services in the 14th century Chapel and is responsible for a choral outreach scheme, delivering high quality singing to children in three Oxford primary schools. A member of the Oxford University Faculty of Music, Steven undertakes undergraduate teaching in techniques of composition, keyboard skills and analysis, in addition to his work as Assistant Director of the New College Choir. His playing has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong and Early Music Show, and on French Radio from the Ambronay Festival and he has played continuo with the choir in Cyprus, Estonia and Italy amongst other destinations. Steven plays fortepiano on the recent release of Haydn’s Creation with the Oxford Philomusica, organ continuo on the CD J.S.Bach's Six Motets and on the  forthcoming release of Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers.

During 2009 his playing was broadcast on BBC Radios 3 and 4, and on French Radio. Recent concerto appearances have been Samuel Barber's Toccata Festiva in the opening Concert of Contrepoints 62, Le Festival des Orgues du Pas-de-Calais in Saint Omer and Handel Organ Concerto op.7 no.1, and in an Oxford concert with his newly-founded vocal/period instrument group Academia Musicae Veteris. Solo recital projects have included J.S.Bach's six trio sonatas played on the Frobenius Organ of The Queen's College, Oxford, performances of Mendelssohn's Organ Sonatas at New College and the complete works of Maurice Duruflé played on the Cavaillé-Coll inspired Walker organ of Exeter College Chapel, Oxford.

A prize-winning graduate of Magdalen College, Oxford (where he was Organ Scholar) and the Royal Academy of Music, Steven gained the Limpus (highest mark) and Dixon (improvisation) prizes in his FRCO examination, and is also a holder of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Silver Medallion. In 2010, he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM), an award offered to past students of the Academy who have distinguished themselves in the music profession and made a significant contribution to it in their particular field. He was an interpretation finalist in the 2011 St Albans International Organ Competition. For more information, please visit www.stevengrahl.com.

Feb 2012