Robert L. Simpson retires from Christ Church Cathedral, Houston

Robert L. Simpson, Grammy Award-winning founder and artistic director of the Houston Chamber Choir, completed his 33-year tenure as Canon for Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, Texas, in July at the conclusion of the Cathedral Choir’s tenth European tour. He also stepped down from his position as lecturer of church music at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, where he has taught since 2000.

Simpson received his bachelor’s degree in music with honors from Brown University and his master’s from the Union Theological Seminary School of Sacred Music in 1972, where he studied with Robert Baker. He subsequently spent two years as a student of Michael Schneider at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Germany. Returning to the United States, he served as cathedral musician at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, Florida, and organist-choirmaster at St. Philip’s Cathedral, Atlanta, Georgia, from 1979 until his move to Christ Church Cathedral in 1993.

Simpson is the recipient of Chorus America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art, the S. Lewis Elmer Prize, and the American Prize. He was vice-chair of the Standing Commission on Church Music for the Episcopal Church and a member of the editorial board for Lift Every Voice and Sing II. Under his direction the Houston Chamber Choir received the Margret Hillis Award from Chorus America, the American Prize, and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance for its recording of the complete choral works of Maurice Duruflé.