TikTok organist leaving as college music director

Anna Lapwood, who was made an MBE for services to music in 2024, is to leave her post at Pembroke College, Cambridge

The director of music at a Cambridge University college who has been dubbed the "TikTok organist" is to step down from her role.

Anna Lapwood will leave Pembroke College, where she has spent nine years, at the end of the academic year.

Lapwood received an MBE for her services to music in 2024 and said she was leaving to devote more time as a concert organist.

Lord Smith, Master of Pembroke, said she had "transformed Pembroke's music and choirs".

Lapwood became the college's director of music after graduating at the age of 21 from Magdalen College, Oxford.

Her achievements during her nine years as director included setting up Pembroke Girls' Choir, championing work by female composers as well as strengthening the college choir which now appears regularly on BBC and public radio stations.

During the Covid lockdown, when choirs could not sing together, she created and conducted the NHS Chorus-19, a virtual choir made up of more than 1,000 NHS staff from across the UK.

'Hardest decision'

Described as a "tireless advocate for the organ" Lapwood also worked to broaden the instrument's appeal and also demonstrated its versatility through her social media presence, garnering 25 million likes for a performance.

She said: "I'm so incredibly proud of the community we have built together and choosing to leave has been the hardest decision I have ever had to make.

"I have had such an incredible time at Pembroke over the last nine years and it has honestly been one of the greatest joys of my career to work with the chapel choir and the girls' choir."

In a statement the college said: "While the college is saddened to lose such a trailblazing individual, it wishes Anna well and looks forward to watching the development of her future career with close interest."