David John Sanger (17 April 1947 – 28 May 2010) was a concert organist, professor and president of the Royal College of Organists. Sanger was educated at Eltham College and the Royal Academy of Music. His teachers included Susi Jeans, Marie-Claire Alain and Anton Heiller. His career as a performer was launched when he won first prize in two international competitions: St Albans, England in 1969 and Kiel, Germany in 1972. Since then, he toured as a solo recitalist. His discography spans the music of several centuries, and includes the complete organ works of Franck, the complete organ symphonies of Louis Vierne, and works by Liszt and Lefébure-Wély. He also recorded the complete organ music of Bach for Meridian Records. He toured many countries as recitalist - Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Italy, France, Russia, Iceland, the United States, Mexico and South Korea - as well as giving many recitals in the British Isles, notably at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, the City of London Festival, the Bath Festival, the Chester Festival, the West-Riding Cathedrals' Festival, and many similar occasions. He gave Master Classes in many places including Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo, and was 'Headmaster' of the Church Music Seminar in Bergen for fourteen years. He was frequently partnered by Hans Fagius from Sweden for Organ Duet Concerts. As a recording artist he made over 20 CDs. His debut on the organ was with Polydor (DG Début Series) with Bach and Franck recorded in Munich. He recorded the complete organ works of César Franck at the Katarina Church in Stockholm (before the fire) for BIS. His Meridian recordings of Vierne's Six Organ Symphonies received wide acclaim and he was close to completing his recordings of the complete organ works of Bach. The most recent Bach CDs were recorded on the newly constructed, historic-style, Carsten Lund organ in Copenhagen's Garnisons Church. With Meridian he recorded a selection of trifles by Lefébure-Wély on the recent Cavaillé-Coll style instrument at Exeter College, Oxford, for which instrument Sanger also acted as Consultant. Other projects as consultant included new, rebuilt or restored organs at Bromley Parish Church, Haileybury College, St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sheffield Cathedral, Trinity Hall, Cambridge, Strathclyde University and Leeds Cathedral. In addition to his performing career, Sanger was also a teacher of the organ. He was professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and chairman of the organ department there from 1987-89. Between 1989 and 1997 he was a Consultant Professor at the RAM. He was guest professor for two years at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen. He was also a Visiting Tutor in organ studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire, and teacher of organ at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Sanger appeared in the jury of many international organ competitions; St Alban's, Paisley, Speyer, Biarritz, Alkmaar, Odense Nűrnberg and Lucerne. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1985. For some years he was professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and chairman of the organ department there from 1987-89. Between 1989 and 1997 he was a Consultant Professor at the RAM. He was guest professor for a period of two years at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen. He has been a Visiting Tutor in organ studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, and was a teacher of organ at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He had many successful students at international competition level, including two winners at the Calgary International Organ Competition. After being a member since age 15, Sanger was appointed president of the Royal College of Organists in October 2008, a position he served in until his resignation a week before his death. On 25 May 2010 Sanger appeared in court, charged with four counts of indecent assault and four of gross indecency, all against a boy under the age of 16 and all alleged to have taken place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sanger denied all charges and was released on conditional bail. Three days later, on 28 May 2010, police announced that Sanger had been found dead at a house in Embleton, near Cockermouth, Cumbria. Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the death. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.