Kevin Clarke was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He obtained his Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston. Upon graduation in 1984, he served as organist and choirmaster at St. John’s Anglican Church, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, leaving that post in 1986 to be Fellow in Church Music at the Washington National Cathedral. Dr. Clarke then raveled to Bristol Cathedral, England, to serve as the Cathedral organ scholar. Upon returning to the United States in 1988, he was Assistant Organist and Choirmaster at St. John the Divine in Houston, Texas, until his appointment to Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas in 1990.
In his current position as organist and choirmaster at Church of the Incarnation, one of the largest Episcopal churches in the United States, Dr. Clarke has built an extensive music program, consisting of two mixed adults choirs; a men’s chanting choir; a young children’s choir; and a handbell choir. The choirs have sung in residence at the cathedrals of Chichester, Wells, and Lincoln, and have four times been invited to sing the daily services in residence at Westminster Abbey. In addition, Dr. Clarke has composed several commissioned choral pieces, brass arrangements, and video soundtracks, and has produced and played in numerous
concerts. In May of 2002 the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest awarded Dr. Clarke the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. As a recitalist, he has performed in North America, the Caribbean, Italy, Great Britain,and Germany, where he played the world premiere of Hans-Dieter Karras’ 2nd Symphony.
In addition to organ concerts, Dr. Clarke is in demand as a conductor and lecturer on choral technique, recently completing a conducting tour in North Germany. Dr. Clarke’s most recent recordings feature music of the English Cathedral tradition sung by the Incarnation Chancel Choir on the Pro Organo label, and an organ CD entitled “Trumpet Tunes” on the Prospect label.