John Butt Principal Artist

John Butt is Gardiner Professor of Music at the University of Glasgow and musical director of Edinburgh’s Dunedin Consort. And if that's not enough, he's also one of our six Principal Artists.
"Variety of players, variety of repertoire, but also variety of attitude and approaches."
Principal Artist John Butt on what makes the OAE so special.

John Butt is an organist, conductor and leading expert on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

He is both Gardiner Professor of Music at the University of Glasgow and musical director of Edinburgh’s period instrument orchestra, Dunedin Consort.

John became our fifth Principal Artist in 2016. His highlights with us include his performances of virtuoso Handel organ concertos at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2018. He’s even performed down the pub with a Night Shift gig at Camden Assembly.