Nicolas Kynaston

Nicolas Kynaston was born in 1941, the son of a painter and a violinist and the youngest of seven musical children. His first piano lessons, at the age of six, were given to him by his mother.

He was a chorister at Westminster Cathedral when George Malcolm was Director of Music and it was at this time he started his organ studies. He progressed well and within a year was playing some of the simpler cathedral services.

At fifteen he was awarded a scholarship to study with Fernando Germani at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. He went again to Siena the following year and was then awarded further scholarships to continue his studies with Germani in Rome at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia, and later with Ralph Downes at The Royal College of Music in London.

At the age of nineteen he was appointed organist at Westminster Cathedral, a post he held for ten years. During this time his reputation as a recitalist increased and he made his first records for Cathedral Recordings.

He travelled extensively as an international recitalist, particularly on the continent and in North America.