Cleobury, Stephen (John)
Cleobury, Stephen (John)
Cleobury, Stephen (John), English conductor and organist, brother of Nicholas (Randall) Cleobury; b. Bromley, Dec. 31, 1948. He was educated at St. John’s Coll., Cambridge (M.A.; Mus. B). He was organist at St. Matthew’s, Northampton (1971–74) and sub–organist at Westminster Abbey in London (1974–78) before serving as master of music at Westminster Cathedral (1979–82). In 1982 he became a fellow, director of music, and organist at King’s Coll., Cambridge, in 1983 conductor of the Cambridge Univ. Musical Soc, in 1991 organist of the Univ. of Cambridge, and in 1995 chief conductor of the BBC Singers. He also served as president of the International Assn. of Organists (1985–87), the Cathedral Organists’ Assn. of England (1988–90), and of the Royal Coll. of Organists (1990–92). Cleobury has become well known through his many tours and recordings with the King’s Coll. Choir, as well as through its annual live worldwide broadcast each Christmas Eve of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire