Described by the Organ Magazine as ‘one of our finest young players’, Alexander Binns is the Director of Music at Derby Cathedral and, until recently, was the youngest Cathedral Director of Music in England. At the Cathedral he is responsible for the operation of Derby Cathedral Music Department, for directing the Cathedral Choir for services, concerts, broadcasts, recordings and tours and for the Music in Schools programme. Alongside his duties at the Cathedral, Alexander is a Visiting Music Teacher at Trent College, Musical Director of the Derventio Choir, Chair of the Derby and District Organists’ Association, and Area Team Leader of RSCM Derbyshire. Prior to moving to Derby Alexander was Assistant Director of Music at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

In 2015 Alexander graduated with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied the organ with Susan Landale and David Titterington, improvisation with Gerard Brooks, conducting with Paul Brough, choral conducting with Patrick Russill, harmonium with Anne Page and continuo with Terence Charlston. Alongside his studies Alexander held the position of Organ Scholar at Southwark Cathedral, the Royal Hospital Chelsea and St Marylebone Parish Church. During his gap year, he held the Organ Scholarship at St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle, where he regularly accompanied and conducted the world famous Chapel Choir and played for many members of the British Royal Family, including at the celebrated Garter Day Service.

Alexander has performed at many prestigious venues including Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Snape Maltings and abroad in the Netherlands, Iceland, France, Poland, Ireland, Italy and Germany. He has also performed on RTE Television (Ireland) and BBC Radio. As an orchestral player Alexander has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, has toured Europe with the European Union Youth Orchestra, and has worked under the batons of Marin Alsop, Gianandrea Noseda and Trevor Pinnock. He has played continuo with the Monteverdi String Band and has premiered works by leading composers Diana Burrell, Alison Willis, Zoltán Gárdonyi, Simon Lindley, David Fawcett and Lloyd Coleman.

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