Winchester Cathedral has appointed a new Director of Music, Katherine Dienes-Williams, who will join from Guildford Cathedral where she is Organist and Master of the Choristers.
Katherine Dienes-Williams was appointed to Guildford Cathedral in January 2008 following six years as Director of Music at the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick. She was the first female member to be elected to the Cathedral Organists’ Association, and on her appointment to Guildford, became the first woman to hold such a post in the Church of England. She is currently Chair of the Royal College of Organists.
Katherine is a former Organ Scholar at Winchester Cathedral and was Assistant Organist at Winchester College in the early 1990s.
Mrs Dienes-Williams said:
“Winchester Cathedral is ideally positioned at the heart of its historic city to embody the best of our Anglican musical tradition. The Cathedral’s ongoing commitment to its Choral Foundation as a mainstay of worship and mission and its expansive, exciting ambitions for the future stand to enrich the musical, educational, and spiritual life of its diverse community. Although I am sad to be leaving Guildford Cathedral, I am delighted to be bringing my skills and experiences to the post of Winchester Cathedral’s Director of Music. I am committed to building on the Cathedral’s legacy of musical excellence, to develop its future, and to live and work in communal fellowship, offering music in worship dedicated to the glory of God.”
The Interim Dean of Winchester Canon Roland Riem said:
“We are pleased that the careful process of recruiting a new Director of Music has been successful. We are grateful to the professional musicians who have helped us in this, David Hill, Stephen Darlington and Andrew Lucas, who has held the musical fort so capably since September 2024.”
The Dean Designate Canon Christopher Palmer added,
“I was delighted to be part of the panel that interviewed Katherine, and am so pleased that she has accepted the invitation to become Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral. Katherine’s musicality, wide experience, and skill in training choirs will be a great asset to the Cathedral’s music, worship, and community life. I enormously look forward to working with her.”
Mrs Dienes-Williams will take up her post on 1st September, at the start of the next academic year, and will join the Senior Executive Team of the Cathedral.
