Chris Hainsworth grew up in Wellington, learning the organ from Ernest Jamieson and Maxwell Fernie and studying languages and music at Victoria University before heading for Toulouse to complete his doctorate.
Chris also studied organ with Jean Ferrard in Brussels. He taught for 15 years at Waikato University and another 15 at the Beziers Conservatoire in the south of France before devoting himself entirely to performance (solo, chamber orchestral) on organ, fortepiano and harpsichord, mainly in Europe, the United States and Australasia.
Formerly director of music at Hamilton Cathedral, director of the Beziers Conservatoire and associate professor of music at Waikato University, he is now organist “titulaire” of the Cathedral of Beziers.
His choice of country came initially from being taught French. “I love France and studied there. I return to New Zealand for about three months every year to visit family and friends. There are plenty of people who want to play the organ at Bezier so I can take time to return to New Zealand and to play some concerts in other parts of the world.”
