Holy Trinity
Roman Catholic Church
213 West 82nd Street
New York, NY 10024
(212) 787-0634
Music Ministry: McNeil Robinson
Director of Music and Organist
Concert organist McNeil Robinson has been praised by the international press as one of America’s leading virtuosos. His widely noted prowess as an improviser propels him into the rarefied heights of the organist’s art achieved by only a handful of the European all-time greats. One of the most prominent musicians in New York City, McNeil Robinson has been organist and choirmaster at Park Avenue Synagogue since 1966, an appointment advised by Dr. Jack Gottlieb and the late Leonard Bernstein, and served as music director and organist for Park Avenue Christian Church (1984–2007). Prior to his appointment at Park Avenue Christian, Robinson led a legendary music program for the Church of St. Mary the Virgin for two decades. Concurrently, he was director of music for the Church of the Holy Family, the parish church of the United Nations (1967–1978), and as director of music at the Trinity Institute, Trinity Church Wall Street (1970–1976).
As a composer, Robinson is the recipient of numerous prestigious commissions, including those from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the American Guild of Organists, the Group for Contemporary Music, Meet the Composer, Musica Sacra, Park Avenue Synagogue, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, the Church of the Holy Family, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the Trinity Institute, and by numerous American churches and individuals throughout the United States. His works have been performed in the major fine arts centers in America and abroad, including New York’s Lincoln Center, and on network radio. Robinson’s compositions are regularly performed in churches and synagogues throughout the United States. His works are published by Theodore Presser and Oxford University Press.
McNeil Robinson maintains an international career as an organ recitalist. He has performed both at home and in Europe and Asia, and has been a featured performer at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Robinson is now chairman of the organ department of the Manhattan School of Music. His students have won top awards in national and international organ competitions. He is also active as a conductor and has recorded for a number of commercial record labels including Decca and Musical Heritage Society.