In 1989 he was appointed Director of Music at Wellington Cathedral, making him, at 22, one of the youngest musicians to have held such a post. His work with the Cathedral Choir achieved international recognition through the Choir’s CDs released in the UK on the Herald label, and, as Cathedral organist, he became well known particularly for his performances of Bach, the French repertoire, and his improvisations and unique hymn accompaniments.
Born in Southampton, England, Philip Walsh began piano lessons at four, and organ lessons at thirteen. He studied in Winchester on the Hampshire Specialist Music Course before winning an organ scholarship to Queen’s College, Cambridge. His organ studies were with Martin Neary and Peter Hurford.

Philip has performed as an organist in venues in the UK, USA, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. In the New Zealand International Arts Festivals he performed the organ part in Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and premiered a work written for him, Gareth Farr’s Pandemonia’s Spells. With the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra he performed the Poulenc Organ Concerto and as a national recording artist for Radio New Zealand he made a number of recordings for Concert FM.