Ashley Grote (born 1982) is Master of music at Norwich Cathedral and a fellow of the Royal College of Organists.[1]
Born in 1982, Grote grew up in Colchester and attended Eld Lane Baptist Church with his family, where he sang in the choir and first played the organ.[2] He joined the Choir of King's College, Cambridge at the age of eight[3] in response to a newspaper advertisement for voice trials.[2][4] He then attended Uppingham School[4] and returned to King's in October 2001 as an organ scholar. He won first prize in the 1999 Royal College of Organists' Young Performers' Festival.[4] In 2000 he was the first organist ever to win a place in the keyboard final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition.[4]
Prior to appointment as Master of Music at Norwich Cathedral in 2012, Grote was Assistant Organist at Westminster Abbey, and Assistant Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral.[3]
He has regularly competed in the London marathon to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, following his daughter's diagnosis with a brain tumour in 2014.[5][6]
In 2018, Grote competed on MasterChef UK. He was eliminated in the first heat.
- ^ "RCO awards Diplomas, Certificates & Medals in cathedral ceremony". Royal College of Organists. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Organist interview: Ashley Grote". Colchester Moot Hall Organ. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ a b "How music is one of Norwich Cathedral's greatest treasures". Norwich Evening News. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Lexden Heath: Ashley makes event history". Daily Gazette. 10 February 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ "Master of Music at Norwich Cathedral raises £50,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital". Norwich Evening News. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ "Norfolk fundraiser bearing up well in his unusual London Marathon bid". ITV News. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2019.