The highly coveted position of director of music at King’s College is now up for grabs for the first time in almost 40 years.

On Friday, the College announced the retirement of Stephen Cleobury, 69, who has been in the job since 1982. He will step down at the end of September next year.

A former organ scholar at St John’s College, Cleobury served as sub-organist at Westminster Abbey, and later master of music at Westminster Cathedral. He was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s 2009 Birthday Honours.

The director of music at King’s College has overall responsibility for its famous chapel and choir, and is a fellow of the College.

In a statement, the provost of King’s College, professor Michael Proctor, said: “The College owes a huge debt of gratitude to Stephen Cleobury for his distinguished service and tireless efforts and we shall be celebrating his unique contribution in due course.

“We are seeking someone of the highest calibre as his replacement, and look forward to seeing the music and Choir of King’s thrive long into the future.”

The job description notes that his successor must have “an outstanding reputation as a choral music conductor”. To compensate the highly demanding job, the successful candidate will receive “a highly competitive stipend, reflecting the profile of the position”.

The application window to replace Cleobury closes on 12th March.