Joshua Hales is a British organist and conductor whose work combines performance, specialist teaching, and a scholarly interest in the French symphonic organ tradition. Educated at the University of Oxford and trained by leading European organists, he has performed at major UK cathedrals and colleges and currently serves as Director of Music at St Anne’s, Kew, where he leads the choirs and curates liturgical and concert music programmes.

Joshua held organ scholarships at Truro and Salisbury cathedrals and Exeter College, Oxford, and was previously Assistant and later Acting Director of Music at Sheffield Cathedral. Whilst at Sheffield he featured as both organist and director for live broadcasts of choral evensong on BBC Radio 3, played the organ for numerous high-profile events including a Royal Maundy service in the presence of Elizabeth II, and directed a variety of choirs and orchestras. In 2025 he founded the Capel Singers, the professional choir of St Anne’s, Kew, with whom he delivers high-quality performances of a range of choral repertoire.

As an organist, Joshua has performed in many cathedrals, churches and chapels, including Westminster Abbey; St Paul’s Cathedral; St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle; St John’s College, Cambridge; St John the Divine Cathedral and Trinity Church Wall Street, New York; La Madeleine, Paris; the Petrikirche, Freiberg; and the Katharinenkirche, Hamburg. Solo recitals feature works by a variety of composers, with a particular emphasis on the French symphonic tradition. He has appeared as both a continuo player and concerto soloist with baroque ensembles, and given several world-premiere performances of works by composers including Jonathan Dove and Will Todd.

Joshua is an experienced organ teacher, having taught both privately and at Chetham’s School of Music. Pupils have gone on to win conservatoire places and Oxbridge organ scholarships and several now practice as professional musicians.

Joshua maintains an active interest in musical scholarship. He has written programme notes on composers including Bach and Messiaen, and is currently writing an article on performance practice issues in Widor’s organ music for publication in the Journal of the Royal College of Organists.