Gillian Weir

Dame Gillian Constance Weir (born 17 January 1941) is a New Zealand-British organist.

Biography Weir was born in Martinborough, New Zealand, on 17 January 1941. Her parents were Clarice Mildred Foy ( Bignell) and Cecil Alexander Weir. She received her schooling at Queen's Park School, Wanganui Intermediate , and Wanganui Girls' College .

In 1967, she married Clive Rowland Webster. The marriage was dissolved in 1972. In that year, she married Lawrence Irving Phelps, an American organ builder. and other publications. At Messiaen's request, she gave the first UK performance in January 1973 of the Méditations sur le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité at the Royal Festival Hall from a facsimile of the composer's manuscript, given to her after he gave the world premiere in Washington D.C.

Her series of six weekly recitals in Westminster Cathedral of Messiaen's organ works in 1998, the 90th anniversary of his birth, brought huge audiences, and for her performances she was awarded the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, the first organist to have been so honoured.

Recordings Weir's artistry was marked in 1999 by the re-issue on CD of her series of Argo recordings, and her nomination by Classic CD magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Players of the Century, and by The Sunday Times as one of the 1000 Music Makers of the Millennium. In December 2000, ITV's South Bank Show chronicled her worldwide activities as performer, teacher and recording artist.

Television Weir performed in her own six-part television series King of Instruments for the BBC in 1989; 1989: Elected Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, London (Hon. RAM) 1992–93: President of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, England 1993: Trustee of the Eric Thompson Charitable Trust for Organists and Organ Music 1994–96: First woman president of the Royal College of Organists, England 1996: Promoted Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1996 New Year Honours, for services to music 1997–98: Visiting professor of the Royal Academy of Music, London 1997: Awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Huddersfield (Hon D.Litt.) 1998: Awarded Silver Medal by the Albert Schweitzer Association (Sweden) 1998–present: President of the Soloist's Ensemble 1998: Patron of the Oundle International Festival 1999: Appointed the Prince Consort Professor in Organ, Royal College of Music, London 1999: March 1999 – Winner of the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Solo Performance in 1998 1999: July 1999 – Awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Hull (Hon D.Mus.) 1999: Patron of Friends of Young Artists' Platform 1999–present: Patron of the Cirencester Early Music Festival 2000: November 2000 – Elected Fellow of the Royal College of Music, London (FRCM) 2000: December 2000 – Subject of television documentary profile by the South Bank Show (ITV) 2001: February 2001 – Awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Exeter (Hon D.Mus.) 2001: Awarded honorary doctorate by Birmingham City University (Hon Doctor of the university) 2003: Awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Leicester (Hon D.Mus.) 2004: Awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Aberdeen (Hon D.Mus.) 2006: Elected Member of the Senior Common Room at the University College and St Chad's College, Durham University 2009: Elected Member of the Senior Common Room at the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham University 2009: Awarded honorary doctorate by the University of London (Hon D.Mus.) 2011: Awarded Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award