Ian with his Cathedral Singers of Ontario at St. Paul's Cathedral, London UK

Ian Sadler began his musical training as a boy chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK.  He was awarded a Music Scholarship to The King’s School, Canterbury and following high school, was awarded the Organ Scholarship at Bristol University.  At age 17, he passed the Fellowship examination of Trinity College of Music, London.  At University, Ian received organ tuition from Oxbridge organ tutor, David Sanger.  During postgraduate study at London University (1978-80), Ian was the Organ Scholar at St. Paul’s Cathedral under Christopher Dearnley and John Scott.  Ian holds degrees in musicology and education, with organ diplomas from Trinity College of Music and The Royal College of Organists. Before moving to Canada, his final engagement in the UK was to play the organ in the movie, Chariots of Fire. 

Ian moved to Canada in 1980 following his appointments in Toronto as Director of Music at Grace Church-on-the-Hill and Choral Director at Upper Canada College.  He continued organ studies with Mireille Lagacé in Montreal and has since gone on to appointments as Organist of St. James' Cathedral, Toronto and most recently as Director of Music at St. Paul's Cathedral, London Ontario.    

Ian has commissioned and premièred many new choral, vocal and organ works from Canadian composers including Ruth Watson Henderson, Derek Holman, Robert Evans, Jeff Enns, Albert Greer, Stephen Hatfield, Kathryn Rose and Denis Bédard.  

In 1986, the year that he became a Canadian citizen, Ian won 1st prize at the Syracuse International Organ Playing Competition in the USA.  As a Canadian recitalist, tours have since taken him to Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France (Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris), Austria (Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral), Australia (Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide and Melbourne),  the USA (New York, Boston, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, San Francisco and Hawaii), Helsinki, Finland and back to the UK (Winchester Cathedral, Truro Cathedral, Norwich Cathedral, York Minster, St. Giles, Edinburgh, Coventry Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, King’s College Cambridge & St. Paul’s Cathedral).  
Highlights of Ian’s career to date have included representing Canada as the organist for the United Nations 50th Anniversary Celebrations in San Francisco, being awarded the honorary adjunct position of Professor of Music by Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, representing Canada as the first Canadian juror at the International Liszt Organ Playing Competition held at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, and winning a Juno award for a CD recording by his Burlington Chamber Choir, Pro Musica. 

Ian has also attempted to reach an ever-increasing audience for the organ with his ‘organ only’ oratorio and large work accompaniments. Annually he plays for many Canadian choirs in works such as Handel's 'Messiah', Bach’s  'Christmas Oratorio', 'St. Matthew Passion' and 'St. John  Passion', Haydn’s 'Creation', Mendelssohn's 'Elijah', Mozart, Brahms, and Verdi 'Requiems' and Poulenc's 'Gloria' . In collaboration with New York publishers C.F. Peters Corp., Ian and his wife, Catharine, produced an arrangement of Walton's 'Belshazzar's Feast' for choir, brass quintet, percussion, organ & piano; this was premièred by the Peterborough Singers of Ontario in 2019. 

Ian’s recording discography is  extensive with 8 solo organ CDs and over 35 choral CD recordings on  current release.  His solo CDs include recordings on major organs in Toronto –  Roy Thomson Hall, Yorkminster Park  Baptist Church and St. James’  Cathedral. 

Ian has been involved with the launching of the organs at three major concert halls in Canada.  He was invited to perform a programme of British music for the inaugural series of organ recitals  at Jack Singer Hall, Calgary (1986).  He played the first recital in the Wednesday inaugural series at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall and performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in a programme entitled ‘A Night At The  Movies’ to inaugurate the organ at the Winspeare Centre (2002).  For his dedication to promoting the organ and Canadian music, both at home and abroad, The Royal Canadian College of Organists honoured Ian in 2007 with their highest award,  ‘Fellowship of The Royal Canadian College of Organists’.  

​For 32 Seasons (1989-2021) Ian was Artistic Director/Conductor of The Stratford Concert Choir.  In its annual 4 concert series, SCC regularly performed Handel's 'Messiah', Mendelssohn's 'Elijah', J.S. Bach's 'St Matthew' & 'St. John Passions', and the 'Requiems' of Brahms, Duruflé, Fauré and Mozart.  Under Ian's direction, the choir performed in England and France and undertook singing tours to Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and Michigan USA.  The choir can be heard on 5 CD recordings.  Two of these were from special invitations - the 1st to participate in a recording of the complete musical works of Stratford Festival composer Alan Laing, the 2nd invitation from Loreena McKennit to perform alongside her on her 'Lost Souls' CD.  

From 1999-2005 Ian was Artistic Director of the Bach Elgar Choir of Hamilton.  He led the choir through its Centennial Celebration season with gala performances accompanied by the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra of Verdi's 'Requiem' and Bach's 'St. Matthew Passion'.   
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2025 marks the 25th Anniversary of the founding of Ian's choir, The Cathedral Singers of Ontario.  Since 2000, this choir has acted as choir-in-residence for a week each winter and summer at a total of 29 British Cathedrals:  St. Mary's Edinburgh, Exeter, Wells, Canterbury, Winchester, Brecon, St. David's, Salisbury, Gloucester, Norwich, Truro, York Minster, Chester, Coventry, St. Albans, Peterborough, Oxford, Southwark, Guildford, Worcester, Hereford, Lincoln, Ely, St. Patrick's Dublin, Bath Abbey, Bristol, St. Edmundsbury and St. Paul's.  In January 2025 the choir undertook its 35th visit with its 3rd residency at Westminster Abbey .