CLASSICAL
A
nna Lapwood describes her-
self as an “all-rounder”. Which
is charming and modest, but
also quite an understate-
ment. The formidably talented
26-year-old organist and
choral conductor (and singer, pianist,
harpist, violinist, percussionist, broad-
caster, composer, editor, arranger, gen-
der equality advocate and, oh, TikTok
sensation) is speaking to me between
rehearsals. This all-rounder is busy.
Lapwood is enjoying a meteoric rise.
Hot on the heels of her debut solo
album, Images, and her anchoring of
the television coverage of BBC Young
Musician, there has been the publica-
tion of a ground-breaking collection of
organ pieces by women, Gregoriana,
which Lapwood compiled and edited.
Next month she makes her profes-
sional Aldeburgh Festival debut — she
first played Snape Maltings as a teenage
harpist — and the two programmes
reflect her range, curiosity and sense of
mission. On an organ specially designed
for the occasion, she will perform her
arrangements of Britten’s Four Sea
Interludes and Messiaen’s Vocalise-
Étude, as well as pieces by the young
British composers Owain Park, Kerensa
Briggs and Cheryl Frances-Hoad.
Two nights later she will be joined by
singers from the Chapel Choir of Pem-
broke College, Cambridge,
where she has been the
director of music since- That concert will
explore plainchant and
feature such contempo-
rary composers as
Dobrinka Tabakova.
Shortly afterwards
comes the release of Celestial Dawn, the
second album from Lapwood and her
beloved Pembroke choirs (in addition
to the regular chapel ensemble, in 2018
she founded a choir for girls aged
between 11 and 18.) Not bad for a college
that she admits has always been “under
the radar”, chorally speaking. “Nobody
really thought that Pembroke Choir was
going to be anything,” she says. “So
we’ve been able to try things out; see
what works and what really doesn’t.”
Lapwood’s determination to open up
classical music, that most seemingly elite
of genres, has definitely been “working”.
Her commitment to boost neglected or
fresh voices is clearly an authentic
mission. “Giving the girls [from the
younger choir] opportunities, like letting
them conduct a whole public Evensong
and supporting them, even if it doesn’t
work perfectly, makes me so happy.
Because next time it just might.”
Lapwood’s fierce advocacy of female
composers: commissioning, perform-
ing, then — crucially — recording them,
also seems to be spearheading change
in an industry that badly needs it.
Lapwood turned
on its head the
casual misogyny ofAnna Lapwood, 26,
is much more than a
gifted organist, choral
conductor and TikTok
sensation — she’s a star
on a mission
PROUD TO #PLAYLIKEAGIRL
MARK BOX. INSET: OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY MUSIC SERVICECLEMENCY
BURTON-HILL
an adjudicator in a competition she
entered as a teenager. “They said my
playing was very poised and accurate,”
she has said, drily, “but also, ‘We just
thought it needed to be played more,
more, well... more like a man!’” Ever
since her signature hashtag has been
#playlikeagirl.
Then there’s her much-remarked-on
youth and stature (she is a slight 5ft 3in,
or, as she puts it, #short) compared with
the organ’s massive bulk (the instru-
ment at the Royal Albert Hall, where
Lapwood has been recently named an
associate artist, has 9,999 pipes and
weighs 150 tonnes).
Or her unmistakable glamour:
dressed down is a tailored blazer;
dressed up is a sequinned gown. Quite
possibly this exceptional musician and
impressive leader deserves a write-up
that parks all those elements and her
gender in an overwhelmingly male-
dominated field and instead focuses
solely on her work. However, we don’t
live in that society — at least, not yet.
Lapwood is a star, make no mistake.
Roger Wright, the former Radio 3 head
who runs the Aldeburgh Festival,
describes her as “not only a very fine
organist and choral conductor, but also
a thrilling musician who inspires young
people and is able to build new audi-
ences for classical music”.
Wright’s glowing imprimatur aside,
I suspect there might be a few classical
types who privately begrudge — or at
least raise an eyebrow — at this brilliant
young musician in their midst. A
woman with a first-class Oxford degree
who is as comfortable racking up mil-
lions of TikTok views while playing the
Interstellar or How to Train Your Dragon
soundtracks as she is transcribing Mes-
siaen (imagine!). Perhaps they are wait-
ing for her to trip up, even as they have
to concede the expediency of catering
to a younger audience. I ask her if that
bothers her. Lapwood is unfazed. “I
think the competitive part of my brain
just thinks, ‘Don’t give up,’” she says.
The Lapwood effect is palpable, felt
by everyone: singers , composers, audi-
ence members, radio listeners, concert
promoters and social media fans. And I
bet she thinks she is only just getting
started. Does she ever stop to acknowl-
edge the vast impact she has already
made? “God no. And I never have a
plan. I have huge self-doubt and
moments of ‘What am I doing?’” Then
Lapwood smiles her megawatt smile.
“But I cannot stop. If you can make
productive change happen, surely it’s
worth it.” cAnna Lapwood performs at Aldeburgh
Festival on Jun 23 and 25Tai Murray & Martin Roscoe
The violinist Tai Murray will join
the pianist Martin Roscoe to play
Romantic sonatas and 21st-century
minimalism from Clara Schumann’s
lyrical Three Romances to Arvo
Pärt’s Passacaglia. Barbican, TueJess Gillam and ensembles
The 24-year-old Cumbrian
saxophonist joins Manchester
Camerata and the Brodsky Quartet
for an uplifting performance.
Buxton International Festival, Jul 19Czech Philharmonic 1
The Czech Philharmonic with
Semyon Bychkov will be joined by
the pianist sisters Katia and Marielle
Labèque for an evening of music by
Martinu and Janacek. Edinburgh
International Festival, Aug 20WOMEN MAKE MUSIC
Inspiring Anna Lapwood conducting
the Pembroke College Chapel Choir
last year. Below left: Lapwood aged 1118 29 May 2022