Adrian Gunning combines private teaching, recital work, and playing at St John's Church, Duncan Terrace, and St Clement's, King Square. He is also Head of Music at St Martin's Preparatory School in Mill Hill.
His first recording (Libra LRCD 155) was the first ever CD to be made of music by Charles Tournemire. It met with outstanding critical acclaim: "Wonderful... Faultless... a unique musical experience" (The Gramophone). "Sensitive and atmospheric performances..." (Organists' Review). "One would welcome a second disc..." (Musical Times).
Adrian has played extensively abroad including France, Australia, America, and The Netherlands, as well as participating at festivals in Southwark, The City of London, Brighton, and Haarlem.
Having won The Cardnell Organ Prize for performance at Trinity College of Music, and gaining his Graduate and Fellowship diplomas, Adrian made further studies at Goldsmiths' College, University of London. His organ studies continued with Nigel Allcoat, Nicolas Kynaston, Ewald Kooiman, and Naji Hakim. He gave the British premiere performance of Hakim's Fantasie Sur Adeste Fidelis in 1988, and the premiere recording of Mariales in 1993, and interviewed the composer for an article published in 'The Organ Club Journal'. Adrian was President of The Organ Club (founded by Henry Willis) from 1998 to 2001, and instigated a CD recording to mark the club's 75th anniversary.
For eight years, Adrian was organist of the celebrated Roman Catholic Church of St James, Spanish Place, where the liturgy, Gregorien chant and Gothic architecture gave him great inspiration for much of the music he now plays. Since 1986, he has been organist at the Roman Catholic church of St John the Evangelist in Islington. He has done much to restore the prestige of the remarkable Walker organ by holding annual celebrity organ recitals and promoting a new CD recording during the church's 150th anniversary. This CD, "L'Orgue Grègorien" (Herald-Libra HLRCD 1572), caused much excitement in the musical press. "A faithful interpreter... This is an excellent CD" (Choir & Organ). "The performances are so captivating..." (Sydney Organ Journal). "Gunning has an exact ear for French sonority... These are performances to savour..." (Organists' Review).
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