JAMES DAVID CHRISTIE was the 1979 winner of the Bruges (Belgium) International Organ Competition—the first American to win first prize in that prestigious competition; he was also the first person in the competition’s 18-year history to win both the first prize and the audience prize. Christie has served as organist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1978 and has performed and recorded with major orchestras. He is music director of Ensemble Abendmusik, a Boston-based period instrument orchestra and chorus specializing in sacred music of the 17th and 18th centuries. James David Christie is chair and professor of organ at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, distinguished artist in residence at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., and chair and college organist at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass. He has previously held positions at Boston Conservatory, Harvard University, MIT, and Boston University. Christie was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the New England School of Law for his outstanding contributions to the musical life of Boston and the New England Conservatory honored him with their Outstanding Alumni Award.

Webcast Info

The program features works suited to this organ including Sweelinck, Scheidemann, Krebs and concludes with the Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor (BWV 542) of Johann Sebastian Bach. Making this event especially memorable will be Christie’s transcription of the Concerto in D Major (RV 93) by Antonio Vivaldi. Christie holds positions as Chair and Professor of Organ at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio, Distinguished Artist in Residence at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and serves as College Organist at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA. He has previously held positions at Boston Conservatory, Harvard University, M.I.T. and Boston University. He is a much sought after recitalist and his recent concertizing has taken him to Iceland, Monaco, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Estonia among other countries. Christie has recorded for Decca, Philips, Nonesuch, JAV, Northeastern, Arabesque, Denon, RCA, Dorian, Naxos, Bridge and GM and has received several awards for his solo recordings, including the Preis der Deutschen Schallplatten Kritik and the Magazine d’Orgue: Coup de Coeur.		This webcast brings the glorious music of the OHS National Conventions to all its members across the United States and around the world. Many, many thanks to James David Christie for his agreement to participate in this OHS live event, and, of course, to the donors who have contributed the funding to make this webcast possible. Thanks are also due to James David Christie for his agreement to participate in this Internet project. Thank you to James Weaver and Dan Colburn from the OHS secretariat for their assistance as well as to Mark Howe from St. Paul’s for his help. Kevin Grose, OHS Communications Adviser, provided pro bono management and coordination of this OHS Convention Webcast Project. Special thanks to Matt Kelly from Channel 17/CCTV productions in Burlington, Vermont for his cooperation and direction of the technical delivery and Internet distribution of the project.
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