Who is Gabs Damiani? 

 

Gabriele (Gabs) Damiani is an accomplished all-round Italian musician whose work spans conducting, organ, and piano performance. Equally at home directing ensembles, performing as a soloist, or accompanying singers and instrumentalists, he combines technical command with deep musical sensitivity.

 

An accredited Royal College of Organists teacher and ARCO prize-winner, he specialises in Baroque repertoire, continuo playing, and performance practice, while maintaining an active schedule across the UK and internationally. He is also co-founder of the Accademia Organistica in Trieste.

 

In October 2025, he served as President of the Jury for the Chieri International Music Competition, highlighting his growing international profile.

 

Before establishing his current portfolio, Gabs was Director of Music at Our Lady’s, Abingdon (OLA), overseeing the full academic and practical music programme. Earlier roles include Chapel Organist and Music Teacher at St Edward’s, Oxford, and organ scholarships at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and Westminster Cathedral.

 

Educated at the Verdi Conservatoire in Turin and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he studied with Anne Marsden Thomas and attended masterclasses with P. Hurford, A. Marcon, L. Lohmann, and J. van Oortmerssen. His training in counterpoint, conducting, continuo, and accompaniment remains central to his broad and versatile musical approach.

 

Since moving to England in 1998, he has made his home in Lambourn, in beautiful West Berkshire, where he lives with his wife, Emiliana.

 

Find out Gabs's upcoming Events

"Gabs is a first class musician and organist as well as a gifted improviser, arranger and composer."

Martin Baker

President of the Royal College of Organists (2017-2019)

Master of Music, Westminster Cathedral, London (2000-2019)

Education and Experiences

Gabs comes from a musical family. He was born in 1978 in Moncalieri (Turin), Italy. 

1978 - Musical parents

Giuditta, his mother, held the position of Principal Viola at the Teatro Regio in Turin for thirty years. It was there that she met his father, Renzo, the Principal Oboe of the same orchestra. Both Renzo and Giuditta cherished their experiences performing under the baton of renowned conductors such as Herbert Albert, Leonard Bernstein, the young Riccardo Muti, and Claudio Abbado.
 
Later, Renzo served as a Professor of Wind Ensemble at the Conservatorio in Brescia, where he devoted two decades to teaching. As he neared retirement, he took on the role of principal conductor of the Symphonic Wind Band in Trieste.
 
Additionally, he was a gifted self-taught church organist—a skill that Gabs was eager to emulate. While Gabs's parents never pressured him to pursue music, his older siblings, Claudio and Elisa, always supported his attempts to play by ear! 
 
When Gabs turned 12, Giuditta gently encouraged him to begin reading music at a local music school. There, he embarked on lessons in percussion and piano, along with the fundamental yet challenging subjects of Music Theory and Solfege...

 

Gabs's father, Renzo (1935-2023), played Second Oboe in the Trieste Symphony Orchestra when a young Leonard Bernstein visited to conduct from the keyboard a Mozart Piano Concerto in the early 1950s.

Both of Gabs's parents attended his graduation in London’s Guildhall in 2002, celebrating this significant milestone together.

 

Gabs accompanying his mother, Giuditta (1994)

1993 - The start at the Conservatorio in Turin

Gabs quickly advanced his music studies at his local school, showing remarkable talent and dedication, and just a few years later, he began performing on both piano and organ in various settings.

 

At GCSE he was fortunate enough to be offered a place at the Conservatorio in Turin, and the attached Liceo Sperimentale ad indirizzo Musicale, where he immersed himself in his studies under the guidance of renowned maestri, including Guido Donati (organ), Ottavio Dantone (harpsichord), and the late Wally Peroni (piano), Each of these individuals played a crucial role in shaping Gabs's musical education and development through to the completion of his A-Levels.

Gabs's early teachers Guido Donati (organ), Ottavio Dantone (harpsichord), and Wally Peroni (piano)

The stunning facade of the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatorio in Turin

1998 - A jump across the Channel

Inspired by the renowned British organ school and its vibrant music scene, along with the rich traditions of choral and church music, Gabs seized a unique opportunity to apply for a grant from the EEC while auditioning for a place at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London (GSMD).

Despite his limited knowedge of English, he was accepted into the Bachelor of Music four-year programme.

During his course, he studied with Dr. Graham Elliott, Anne Marsden Thomas (his main teacher), James Parsons, Gerard Brooks, and James Johnstone (a very influential Early music specialist and continuo player).

As a part-time occupation, he became Organist and Director of Music at St Martin's Gospel Oak, London NW5.

In 2000 he performed at the Albert Hall under the late Sir Colin Davis.

Anne Marsden Thomas and James Johnstone were some of Gabs's most influential teachers while at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Gabs was in the chorus when Sir Colin Davis conducted a memorable performance of the Berlioz Grande Messe des morts at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000.

Chatting with the accomplished organist Simon Preston in 2013 was a memorable experience for Gabs. He was one of Gabs's favorite UK musicians from his childhood in Turin.

2001 - From College to Profession

In his final year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Gabs served as the Church Music Scholar at the Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC), under the guidance of Ian Curror. During this period, he had the unique experience of meeting Baroness Margaret Thatcher, a parishioner at the RHC, along with several members of the Royal Family. Gabs also embarked on a memorable study tour to Holland, where he performed at the Waalse Kerk in Amsterdam and Laurenskerk in Alkmaar. There, he received invaluable lessons and masterclasses from the late Jacques Van Oortmerssen, experiences that significantly shaped both his playing and teaching. 

Other key moments and influential figures in Gabs' journey

Following his experience at RHC, Gabs made history as the first Italian Organ Scholar at Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral, working closely with Martin Baker and Robert Quinney. In this role, he played for major choral and congregational liturgies, including events graced by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Prince of Wales, now His Majesty King Charles III.

In 2003, at the young age of 25, Gabs was appointed Chapel Organist and Music Teacher at St Edward's School, Oxford working with Directors of Music Neville Creed and Alex Tester. This position marked the beginning of his journey as a versatile musician, a path he continues to passionately pursue today.

Gabs's closest colleagues at Teddies: Directors of Music Neville Creed and Alex Tester

The Chapel organ at St Edward's, Oxford