Richard Jenkinson grew up in Sussex, and received his early musical training through the County Music Service. He won a scholarship to continue his studies at The Royal College of Music in London, where - among many inspirational characters - Sir David Willcocks was a great influence and source of inspiration.

Richard now has a busy and vibrant career as a freelance musician, specialising in choral music of all kinds, as conductor, accompanist and composer, working regularly with many of the major choirs and choral societies in and around London and South East England. His post of Musical Director to the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society is proving to be equally rewarding, as this great and famous choir moves forward into the next chapter of its musical life.

During his years as an organ scholar, studying with Richard Popplewell at the Royal College of Music in London and with Flor Peeters in Belgium, Richard won the major prizes in the Fellowship examinations of the Royal College of Organists, and was awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Concert and recital appearances have taken him to cathedrals, major churches and concert halls across the UK and Europe, and he continues to be in demand, both as organ soloist and accompanist. TV and radio broadcasts, plus recordings, have also taken Richard to an even wider audience, both at home and abroad. Increasingly though, his career has focused on conducting and composing. This has included motivating vast forces when directing full scale performances of works such as the Verdi Requiem, the Mozart Requiem and 40th Symphony, Britten's St Nicholas, Howard Blake's Benedictus, the Brahms Requiem and the Poulenc Gloria.

Broadcasts and compositions have taken Richard to a world-wide audience, including Australia and the USA. Richard is also experienced in directing Choral Workshops - a leading/coaching/teaching role which he particularly enjoys. He has also travelled widely on concert tours, including conducting a chorus of 75 singers from East Grinstead Choral Society in an Anglo-Spanish programme, presented at venues in the Costa Brava, and - in October this year - an Anglo-German programme in venues in Southern Germany; as organist, recent tours have included Bavaria and Belgium.

When not working, Richard enjoys sport (mostly from the safety and comfort of a large sofa, with a good beer for sustenance!) and - most of all - the beauty and tranquillity of village life in his native and much-loved county of West Sussex.