Commended for his “masterful artistry” (The Diapason) and “stunning virtuosity and musicality” (Choir and Organ), David Baskeyfield has earned a reputation as a captivating performer, known for intuitive interpretation and, above all, communicative musicianship: “Baskeyfield knows how to tell a story with the organ, and there seems to be no literature he cannot interpret convincingly” (The American Organist). His repertoire is wide and eclectic, as much at home with the music of the Old Masters of the 17th-century as the great 19th-century virtuosos. He is one of relatively few organists in North America to improvise regularly in recital, and is also in considerable demand for improvised accompaniments to silent movies.
Performance highlights across North America and Europe have included Chartres Cathedral; St. Sulpice, Paris; St. Bavo, Haarlem; St. Albans Cathedral, UK; Basilique de Notre Dame, Montreal; and Washington National Cathedral. He has inaugurated new instruments by Letourneau and Casavant.
In 2023, he was appointed to the joint positions of Organist and Choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Greenville, NC, and Artistic Director of the East Carolina Musical Arts and Education Foundation, which supports programming on the St. Paul’s C. B. Fisk organ, opus 128, and seeks to promote the instrument through outreach at the local and national level. He has since built up a large private studio, the St. Paul’s Fisk long distinguished as an exceptional teaching instrument.
Baskeyfield holds an MA in Law from Oxford University, and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he has also served on the faculty. First prizes in playing competitions include the Canadian International Organ Competition, St Albans, Miami, Mader, and the AGO National Competition in Organ Improvisation, all with audience prize.
He has been featured on American Public Media’s Pipedreams and NPR’s With Heart and Voice, and has recorded for Cantoris, Gothic, ATMA Classique, and Acis, including premieres of works by Tarik O’Regan, Philip Wilby, and Arvo Pärt. Alongside performing and teaching, Mr. Baskeyfield enjoys work as a collaborative pianist, continuo player, and ad hoc cocktail pianist. He has occasionally given theatre organ recitals.
He is an avid surf- and offshore fisherman, a pursuit he has come to indulge with alarming dedication since moving from upstate New York to eastern North Carolina. He shares his house with two English springer spaniels, Lucy and Wilbur
David Baskeyfield is represented in North America by Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc.