In the grand, historically rigid realm of classical music, very few artists possess the audacious charm, raw talent, and visionary perspective required to completely turn the industry on its head. Yet, Anna Lapwood—an internationally acclaimed organist, conductor, broadcaster, and the Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge—has managed to do precisely that. Sitting down for a profoundly revealing interview on the Keyboard Chronicles podcast, Lapwood unpeeled the layers of her extraordinary career. Her journey from a stubbornly inquisitive child hoarding instruments to a social media sensation selling out the Royal Albert Hall is not just a tale of musical prodigy. It is a deeply human story about overcoming crippling self-doubt, smashing archaic gender stereotypes, and redefining what classical music can mean for future generations.
The Origins of a Rebellious Polymath
Lapwood’s musical journey began not in a towering cathedral, but in the quaint setting of a village piano teacher’s living room. Under the warm guidance of a local instructor, a young Lapwood discovered a profound adoration for music. However, unlike most children who settle on a single instrument, she developed an insatiable hunger to conquer them all. She would meticulously save her pocket money, scouring local charity shops for any neglected instrument she could find, picking up everything from violins and clarinets to flutes and guitars alongside “how-to-play” books.
By year four, she had added the harp to her ever-expanding repertoire. It was at this extraordinarily young age that her teachers intervened, insisting that if she wished to be a serious musician, she had to stop being ridiculous and choose just one instrument. For a child who characteristically followed the rules, her response was remarkably defiant: she simply said no. This early streak of creative independence would eventually become the defining hallmark of her career, setting the stage for a musician who refuses to be confined to a single box.
An Unlikely and Frustrating Romance with the Organ
Given her current status as one of the world’s most famous organists, it is highly ironic that Lapwood initially harboured a deep disdain for the instrument. Growing up with a father in the clergy, she spent her childhood Saturdays surrounded by the distinct smell of pew polish, cleaning churches while the organ echoed in the background. Yet, she felt no romantic pull towards it. Because the player was hidden from view, she found it bizarre and emotionally disconnected. When her mother suggested she try playing it, Lapwood famously dismissed it as a “stupid instrument.”
Her perspective shifted dramatically when she earned an organ scholarship at Oxford University. Thrown into a relentless sink-or-swim environment requiring her to play for eight public services a week, failure was simply not an option. Faced with the immense pressure of not letting her choir down, Lapwood embarked on a gruelling practice regime, dedicating a staggering eight hours a day to the organ on top of her academic studies. She even purchased a dilapidated organ off the internet, paying a man with a van to deliver it to her university room so she could practice through the night. It was within this crucible of intense discipline that she finally conquered the notoriously difficult independence of hands and feet required to master the instrument, ultimately falling deeply in love with its complexity.
A Shocking Appointment and the Burden of Leadership
As her time at Oxford drew to a close, Lapwood faced the terrifying reality of entering the real world without a concrete plan. After a demoralising string of job rejections, a friend suggested she apply for the position of Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. Believing they would never hire a twenty-one-year-old, she applied primarily for interview experience. However, as she researched the college, she realised it was a blank canvas practically begging for innovative change. She won the job, embarking on a terrifyingly steep learning curve.
Thrust into a position of immense authority at such a young age, Lapwood had to quickly find her footing as a conductor. Pembroke became her safe space to experiment with shaping sound and developing her unique conducting style. Interestingly, she revealed that a massive forty percent of her role involves pastoral care. Managing choirs composed of university students and young girls requires immense emotional intelligence. Musicians regularly grapple with severe impostor syndrome and intense vulnerability. Lapwood had to learn the delicate art of active listening, discovering that sometimes a quiet walk is far more effective at helping a struggling student open up than offering a barrage of empty reassurances.
The Resignation That Never Was
Perhaps the most shocking revelation of the interview was Lapwood’s candid admission about her battle with performance anxiety. After pouring all her energy into her new role at Pembroke, she stopped playing the organ entirely. Realising she was throwing away years of relentless training to drown in administrative emails, she made a pact with herself to accept every organ concert she was offered for an entire year.
This ambitious push culminated in a highly intimidating BBC Radio 3 broadcast recital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumed by fear that she had forgotten how to perform, Lapwood finished the recording and completely spiralled into a tearful panic. Convinced her playing was an embarrassing humiliation, she drafted an email to her manager declaring she was quitting the organ forever. Fortunately, she left the message in her drafts. When she finally forced herself to listen to the broadcast while hiding behind a cushion, she was utterly astounded. The performance was brilliant; she couldn’t even believe it was her playing. This profound moment highlighted the dangerous toxicity of the internal critic and served as the ultimate catalyst for her to pursue performing professionally with renewed vigour.
Bridging the Gap: Film Music and Viral Stardom
Having committed to her career, Lapwood initially played the traditional classical repertoire expected of her, only to find herself stressed and unfulfilled. Everything changed when she decided to embrace her lifelong obsession with film scores. While practicing late at night at the Temple Church in London, she spent ten minutes figuring out a quick organ arrangement of Hans Zimmer’s “Cornfield Chase” from the film Interstellar. She filmed it on her phone, uploaded it to social media, and woke up to a viral sensation.
This seemingly small moment fundamentally shifted the trajectory of her career. Lapwood began writing full suites of film music for the organ, boldly bringing Hollywood soundtracks into grand cathedrals. While classical purists often act snobby toward cinematic scores, Lapwood fiercely defends them as powerful gateways into the classical genre. Her instinct was proven right. By blending Hans Zimmer with traditional composers like Bach and Debussy, her audiences transformed. Her recitals went from hosting twenty-five traditional patrons to completely selling out the Royal Albert Hall. Today, her audiences boast a beautifully diverse mix of teenagers, young adults, and even burly bikers who discovered her through a viral collaboration with electronic artists.
Conquering the Beast of the Royal Albert Hall
Speaking of the Royal Albert Hall, Lapwood shared an incredible anecdote about her first encounter with its legendary organ. Boasting nearly ten thousand pipes, it is the second-largest organ in the United Kingdom and an absolute beast of an instrument. Lapwood first played it at age seventeen while performing with the National Youth Orchestra. Granted a midnight practice slot, she and her father had to wear hard hats as they navigated the dark, cavernous hall. Sat behind the monumental console, having only ever played tiny two-manual village church organs, the teenage Lapwood was utterly terrified and had to fake her way through the session.
Today, the narrative is completely different. Having regular overnight access to the venue, sitting at the Royal Albert Hall organ now feels to her like slipping into the driver’s seat of a familiar, comfortable old car. While every organ in the world is uniquely temperamental and requires a fresh relationship, the Albert Hall instrument has wonderfully become her musical home.
Championing Women and Changing the Narrative
Beyond her musical accolades, Lapwood is a fierce advocate for women and young girls in the classical music industry. Six years ago, she was asked to establish the Cambridge Organ Experience for Girls to combat the dismal statistics of female organ scholars. In its first year, twenty girls attended, most of whom had never touched the instrument. Last year, the programme welcomed eighty-five attendees, many of whom were teenagers already playing at a remarkably advanced university standard.
Despite this progress, Lapwood remains frustrated by the lingering sexism in the industry. She noted how exhausting it is to have journalists focus entirely on her gender rather than her musicianship, often spinning thirty seconds of a long interview into a sensationalised headline. Even worse is the persistence of archaic insults, such as telling female musicians they need to “play more like a man.” Lapwood vehemently calls out this ridiculous behaviour, using her platform to pave a smoother, more equitable path for the next generation of female artists.
A Legacy of Joy and Exploration
As the interview drew to a close, Lapwood reflected on the wider purpose of her career. She detailed her passionate charitable work taking choirs to Zambia to help build a financial and cultural ecosystem for local musicians, reminding us all that pursuing a career in music is an immense privilege. When asked for advice for aspiring musicians, her answer was remarkably poignant: stop trying to be a people pleaser. Accept that not everyone will like what you do, and focus entirely on making the music that brings you personal joy and fulfilment.
Anna Lapwood’s story is a brilliant reminder that true artistry requires immense bravery. By refusing to follow the traditional rules, battling her own insecurities, and relentlessly pursuing the music she loves, she hasn’t just kept the centuries-old tradition of the organ alive—she has entirely reinvented it for the modern world.
