Katherine Dienes

Katherine Dienes also known as Katherine Dienes-Williams (born in Wellington, 10 January 1970) is a New Zealand-born organist, conductor and composer. In January 2026 it was announced that she was stepping down from her role as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral, having been appointed Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral with effect from September. At Guildford she was the first woman to hold the most senior musical post in a Church of England cathedral. Early career and education Dienes was born and educated in Wellington, New Zealand, and studied for a BA in Modern Languages and a BMus at Victoria University, Wellington. She was organ scholar at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington from 1988 to 1991 when she was appointed Assistant Organist there. She also acted as Assistant Conductor of the Wellington Youth Choir and appeared as a soloist with Wellington Youth Orchestra. Dienes came to England in 1991 to take up the post of organ scholar at Winchester Cathedral and Assistant Organist at Winchester College. Appointments Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick Dienes was appointed Director of Music St Mary’s, Warwick, in 2001 where she directed and train