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J.W. Steere & Sons | Luther Memorial Church | Madison
Photo: Len Levasseur
J.W. Steere & Sons | Luther Memorial Church | Madison
Photo: Len Levasseur
Convention Artists
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Michael Hey
Described as “scintillating” and “tremendously virtuosic” (The Straits Times, Singapore, 2016), concert organist Michael Hey has been increasingly visible on U.S. and international concert stages.
In September 2017, Michael received first prize in the First Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Organ Competition, held at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Theater. Michael’s premiere solo CD recording Michael T.C. Hey plays the Great Organ of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, on the JAV recording label, was released in October 2017.
Michael has twice appeared with the San Francisco Symphony and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas in Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra. He was the featured organ soloist for the New York City Ballet’s newly commissioned work Acheron (2014). Set to the music of Francis Poulenc’s Organ Concerto, his performance at its premiere was "vividly played" (The New York Times). Michael has also performed at notable venues such as Lincoln Center (New York), Carnegie Hall (New York), Madison Square Garden (New York), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), the Esplanade (Singapore), and the New World Symphony (Miami).
Not exclusively a solo organist, Michael enjoys a varied career that includes collaborations with other musicians, solo piano recitals, improvising, and transcribing works. He has performed with renowned soloists including soprano Renée Fleming, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. In April 2015 he recorded an anthology of songs by Robert Franz with Grammy Award-winning baritone Tim Krol. His latest audio and video recordings are a series of duos for organ or piano with his wife, violinist Christiana Liberis.
From 2015 to early 2023, Michael was Associate Director of Music and Organist of the famed Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, where one of his first major tasks was to perform for the first U.S. visit of Pope Francis. In April 2023, he was appointed Director of Music at Marble Collegiate Church, Fifth Avenue, in New York City.
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Michael graduated in 2014 from the accelerated five-year degree program at The Juilliard School where he received both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in organ performance under Paul Jacobs.
In September 2017, Michael received first prize in the First Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Organ Competition, held at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Theater. Michael’s premiere solo CD recording Michael T.C. Hey plays the Great Organ of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, on the JAV recording label, was released in October 2017.
Michael has twice appeared with the San Francisco Symphony and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas in Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra. He was the featured organ soloist for the New York City Ballet’s newly commissioned work Acheron (2014). Set to the music of Francis Poulenc’s Organ Concerto, his performance at its premiere was "vividly played" (The New York Times). Michael has also performed at notable venues such as Lincoln Center (New York), Carnegie Hall (New York), Madison Square Garden (New York), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), the Esplanade (Singapore), and the New World Symphony (Miami).
Not exclusively a solo organist, Michael enjoys a varied career that includes collaborations with other musicians, solo piano recitals, improvising, and transcribing works. He has performed with renowned soloists including soprano Renée Fleming, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. In April 2015 he recorded an anthology of songs by Robert Franz with Grammy Award-winning baritone Tim Krol. His latest audio and video recordings are a series of duos for organ or piano with his wife, violinist Christiana Liberis.
From 2015 to early 2023, Michael was Associate Director of Music and Organist of the famed Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, where one of his first major tasks was to perform for the first U.S. visit of Pope Francis. In April 2023, he was appointed Director of Music at Marble Collegiate Church, Fifth Avenue, in New York City.
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Michael graduated in 2014 from the accelerated five-year degree program at The Juilliard School where he received both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in organ performance under Paul Jacobs.
Described as “scintillating” and “tremendously virtuosic” (The Straits Times, Singapore, 2016), concert organist Michael Hey has been increasingly visible on U.S. and international concert stages.
Isabelle Demers
With playing described as having “bracing virtuosity” (Chicago Classical Review) and being “fearless and extraordinary” (Amarillo-Globe News), organist Isabelle Demers has enraptured critics, presenters, and audience members around the globe for her entrancing performances. Her 2010 recital for the joint International Society of Organbuilders-American Institute of Organbuilders convention so enchanted the audience that she “left the entire congress in an atmosphere of ‘Demers fever’.” That same year, her national convention of the American Guild of Organists, in Washington, D.C., was received with great acclaim not only by critics, who deemed it “one of the most outstanding events of the convention” (The American Organist), but also by the standing-room-only audience, which called her back to the stage five times.
She has appeared in recital at the cathedrals of Cologne and Regensburg (Germany), the ElbPhilharmonie (Hamburg), St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and the Royal Festival Hall (London), the Royal Opera House of Muscat (Oman), Melbourne Town Hall (Australia), Auckland Town Hall (New Zealand), as well as major universities and concert halls in the United States, among them Davies Hall (San Francisco), Disney Hall (Los Angeles), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), the Wanamaker Organ (Philadelphia), Yale University, the Eastman School of Music, Benaroya Hall (Seattle), Spivey Hall (Georgia), and the Spreckels Pavilion (San Diego).
Ms. Demers is in continual demand by her fellow colleagues as witnessed by repeat performances for regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists (Minneapolis, 2008; Washington D.C., 2010; Hartford, 2013; Austin, 2013; Indianapolis, 2015; Houston, 2016), the joint convention of the American Institute of Organ Builders and International Society of Organbuilders (Montréal, 2010), the Royal Canadian College of Organists (Toronto, 2009; Kingston, Ontario, 2016), and the Organ Historical Society (Vermont, 2013 and Minnesota, 2017).
Her debut recording on Acis label was met with critical acclaim. On a recent broadcast of Pipedreams, radio host Michael Barone featured the Fugue from Reger's Op. 73, describing it as "a masterful score, here masterfully played," and Isabelle Demers as, “definitely a talent to watch, to hear”. The RSCM's Church Music Quarterly awarded the “exciting, expressive and successful” recording its highest recommendation for its “profound and searching” performances. Fanfare Magazine proclaimed the “superbly produced” and “clear, tightly focused” recording as a “brilliantly played program.” Her second disc, featuring the organ works of Rachel Laurin, was released in June 2011, and her recording of Max Reger’s Seven Chorale-Fantasias in November 2012. Her fourth CD, Bach, Bull, and Bombardes (Pro Organo), was released in May 2013, and includes works of Bach, Bull, Reger, Widor, Tremblay, Mendelssohn, Daveluy, and Thalben-Ball. She also appears as solo organ accompanist in a recording of Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem with the Baylor University Choir, recorded at Duruflé’s church, St. Étienne-du-Mont, in Paris. Her latest CD, recorded at Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel, was released in January 2020, and includes works of Reger, Laurin, Dupré, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Macmillan.
A native of Québec and a doctoral graduate of the Juilliard School, Dr. Demers is the newly-appointed Associate Professor of Organ at McGill University (Montréal, Québec). She was formerly the Joyce Bowden Chair in Organ and Head of the Organ Program at Baylor University (Waco, Texas).
Isabelle Demers is represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.
She has appeared in recital at the cathedrals of Cologne and Regensburg (Germany), the ElbPhilharmonie (Hamburg), St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and the Royal Festival Hall (London), the Royal Opera House of Muscat (Oman), Melbourne Town Hall (Australia), Auckland Town Hall (New Zealand), as well as major universities and concert halls in the United States, among them Davies Hall (San Francisco), Disney Hall (Los Angeles), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), the Wanamaker Organ (Philadelphia), Yale University, the Eastman School of Music, Benaroya Hall (Seattle), Spivey Hall (Georgia), and the Spreckels Pavilion (San Diego).
Ms. Demers is in continual demand by her fellow colleagues as witnessed by repeat performances for regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists (Minneapolis, 2008; Washington D.C., 2010; Hartford, 2013; Austin, 2013; Indianapolis, 2015; Houston, 2016), the joint convention of the American Institute of Organ Builders and International Society of Organbuilders (Montréal, 2010), the Royal Canadian College of Organists (Toronto, 2009; Kingston, Ontario, 2016), and the Organ Historical Society (Vermont, 2013 and Minnesota, 2017).
Her debut recording on Acis label was met with critical acclaim. On a recent broadcast of Pipedreams, radio host Michael Barone featured the Fugue from Reger's Op. 73, describing it as "a masterful score, here masterfully played," and Isabelle Demers as, “definitely a talent to watch, to hear”. The RSCM's Church Music Quarterly awarded the “exciting, expressive and successful” recording its highest recommendation for its “profound and searching” performances. Fanfare Magazine proclaimed the “superbly produced” and “clear, tightly focused” recording as a “brilliantly played program.” Her second disc, featuring the organ works of Rachel Laurin, was released in June 2011, and her recording of Max Reger’s Seven Chorale-Fantasias in November 2012. Her fourth CD, Bach, Bull, and Bombardes (Pro Organo), was released in May 2013, and includes works of Bach, Bull, Reger, Widor, Tremblay, Mendelssohn, Daveluy, and Thalben-Ball. She also appears as solo organ accompanist in a recording of Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem with the Baylor University Choir, recorded at Duruflé’s church, St. Étienne-du-Mont, in Paris. Her latest CD, recorded at Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel, was released in January 2020, and includes works of Reger, Laurin, Dupré, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Macmillan.
A native of Québec and a doctoral graduate of the Juilliard School, Dr. Demers is the newly-appointed Associate Professor of Organ at McGill University (Montréal, Québec). She was formerly the Joyce Bowden Chair in Organ and Head of the Organ Program at Baylor University (Waco, Texas).
Isabelle Demers is represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.
With playing described as having “bracing virtuosity” (Chicago Classical Review) and being “fearless and extraordinary” (Amarillo-Globe News), organist Isabelle Demers has enraptured critics, presenters, and audience members around the globe for her entrancing performances.
Christopher Marks
Christopher Marks is consistently praised by reviewers for “style and assurance” and “musicality [that] seems to flow effortlessly”. With his series of recordings of music by Seth Bingham and his many performances on historic American instruments, he has gained a reputation as an expert in American organ music old and new.
Marks is a Professor in the Glenn Korff School of Music at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he also serves as Associate Dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. He has taught organ, music theory, and performance practice, and previously taught organ and served as University Organist at Syracuse University. An active proponent of new music, Marks has premiered a number of commissioned organ works. His diverse stylistic interests also steer him towards a variety of other repertoire, with a recent interest in American organ music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Equally comfortable with solo and collaborative playing, he has performed with ensembles such as the Boston Brass, Ethos Percussion Group, and Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra. He holds degrees from University of Richmond (B.M., piano), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M.M., piano and M.M., organ), and the Eastman School of Music (D.M.A., organ), where he studied with Michael Farris. His performances have garnered him top prizes in competitions, including the Arthur Poister Competition, the San Marino Competition, the Fort Wayne Competition, and the Mader Competition.
Marks’ recording entitled Discoveries was made on the historic Walter Holtkamp organ at Syracuse University and represents his varied musical interests, featuring music spanning four centuries that is rarely performed and recorded. He has also completed a three-volume series of recordings of the organ music of Seth Bingham (1882-1972), who was a prominent New York composer, teacher, and church musician, available from the Raven label at www.RavenCD.com.
Marks is active as a performer, teacher, and writer, having published articles on performance practice, organs, and professional concerns. He has performed at conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society and has participated in more than a dozen Pipe Organ Encounters. He served on the Board of Directors of the Organ Historical Society from 2009 until 2017 and served as Chair 2015-2017.
Marks is a Professor in the Glenn Korff School of Music at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he also serves as Associate Dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. He has taught organ, music theory, and performance practice, and previously taught organ and served as University Organist at Syracuse University. An active proponent of new music, Marks has premiered a number of commissioned organ works. His diverse stylistic interests also steer him towards a variety of other repertoire, with a recent interest in American organ music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Equally comfortable with solo and collaborative playing, he has performed with ensembles such as the Boston Brass, Ethos Percussion Group, and Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra. He holds degrees from University of Richmond (B.M., piano), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M.M., piano and M.M., organ), and the Eastman School of Music (D.M.A., organ), where he studied with Michael Farris. His performances have garnered him top prizes in competitions, including the Arthur Poister Competition, the San Marino Competition, the Fort Wayne Competition, and the Mader Competition.
Marks’ recording entitled Discoveries was made on the historic Walter Holtkamp organ at Syracuse University and represents his varied musical interests, featuring music spanning four centuries that is rarely performed and recorded. He has also completed a three-volume series of recordings of the organ music of Seth Bingham (1882-1972), who was a prominent New York composer, teacher, and church musician, available from the Raven label at www.RavenCD.com.
Marks is active as a performer, teacher, and writer, having published articles on performance practice, organs, and professional concerns. He has performed at conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society and has participated in more than a dozen Pipe Organ Encounters. He served on the Board of Directors of the Organ Historical Society from 2009 until 2017 and served as Chair 2015-2017.
Christopher Marks is consistently praised by reviewers for “style and assurance” and “musicality [that] seems to flow effortlessly”.
Gregory Crowell
Gregory Crowell has appeared as organist, harpsichordist, clavichordist, lecturer, and conductor in Germany, Holland, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada, and the United States. He has performed in many international festivals and conventions, including the Boston Early Music Festival, Regional Conventions of the American Guild of Organists, nine National Conventions of the Organ Historical Society, the Saugatuck Chamber Music Festival, the Valparaiso Bach Institute, the Boston Clavichord Society, and numerous meetings of the Southeastern and Midwestern Historical Keyboard Societies. Particularly noted for his performances of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Crowell has been a featured performer at the Weener (Germany) International Bach Series, the Grand Rapids Bach Festival, the Old West (Boston) Bach Marathon, and the Valparaiso Bach Institute. In the spring of 2000, Dr. Crowell was invited to perform and lecture in the Bach Organ Festival held at St. Luke's in Tokyo, during which time he also served as visiting scholar at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In July 2006, Crowell was invited to speak on interdisciplinary models of teaching music history at Oxford University as part of the Oxford Round Table.
Crowell has also published widely on subjects related to early keyboard instruments and their repertoire in such periodicals as The Diapason, The American Organist, Harpsichord and Fortepiano, Clavichord International, The Tracker, and De Clavicordio. From 2004 to 2008, Crowell served as Director of Publications for the Organ Historical Society, in which capacity he served as editor of The Tracker, a quarterly scholarly journal dedicated to the historic pipe organ. He now serves as the editor of Clavichord International, the only scholarly journal devoted entirely to the clavichord.
Dr. Crowell holds degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Cincinnati, and has studied further at the North German Organ Academy, Academia del Organo (Pistoia, Italy), and Musika Hamabostaldia (San Sebastian, Spain). His teachers include Yuko Hayashi, Bernard Lagacé, Mireille Lagacé, Roberta Gary, and Harald Vogel. Dr. Crowell serves as University Organist and Affiliate Professor of Music General Education at Grand Valley State University, and Director of Music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dr. Crowell performs under the auspices of Independent Concert Artists.
Crowell has also published widely on subjects related to early keyboard instruments and their repertoire in such periodicals as The Diapason, The American Organist, Harpsichord and Fortepiano, Clavichord International, The Tracker, and De Clavicordio. From 2004 to 2008, Crowell served as Director of Publications for the Organ Historical Society, in which capacity he served as editor of The Tracker, a quarterly scholarly journal dedicated to the historic pipe organ. He now serves as the editor of Clavichord International, the only scholarly journal devoted entirely to the clavichord.
Dr. Crowell holds degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Cincinnati, and has studied further at the North German Organ Academy, Academia del Organo (Pistoia, Italy), and Musika Hamabostaldia (San Sebastian, Spain). His teachers include Yuko Hayashi, Bernard Lagacé, Mireille Lagacé, Roberta Gary, and Harald Vogel. Dr. Crowell serves as University Organist and Affiliate Professor of Music General Education at Grand Valley State University, and Director of Music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dr. Crowell performs under the auspices of Independent Concert Artists.
Gregory Crowell has appeared as organist, harpsichordist, clavichordist, lecturer, and conductor in Germany, Holland, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada, and the United States.
Eric Plutz
Eric Plutz is University Organist at Princeton University. There his responsibilities include playing for weekly services at the Chapel, Academic Ceremonies, and solo concerts. He also manages the weekly After Noon Concert Series at the University Chapel, is Lecturer in Music and Instructor of Organ at Princeton University, and maintains a private studio. To honor Louis Vierne’s 150th birthday, Eric initiated The Vierne Project: performances of the complete organ symphonies. In addition to these ten performances across the country, a CD recording of the symphonies on six different instruments was released on the Affetto label in 2022. Mr. Plutz’s most recent recording, “B A C H – The Gamut from ‘A’ to ‘G’,” was released on the Affetto label in 2023. Showcasing organ works in A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, the album was recorded on the Mander/Skinner organ in Princeton University Chapel.
More information is available at www.ericplutz.com.
More information is available at www.ericplutz.com.
Eric Plutz is University Organist at Princeton University. There his responsibilities include playing for weekly services at the Chapel, Academic Ceremonies, and solo concerts.
Brian Schoettler
Brian Schoettler serves as Minister of Music & Organist at First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois where he directs their Chancel, Festival, Handbell, and Children’s Choirs and plays their recently restored Austin organs (IV/78, II/15). He is chair of the Organ Department at the Music Institute of Chicago and teaches music theory for their pre-college Academy. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, his Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and Composition at Westminster Choir College, and his bachelor’s degree in Organ Performance, Church Music, and Instrumental Music Education at Carthage College. He studied organ with Edoardo Bellotti, Michael Burkhardt, Ken Cowan, David Higgs, Richard Hoskins, and Alan Morrison and composition with Benjamin C.S. Boyle.
Recently, Brian has been a guest performer with the Chicago Symphony, the Elmhurst Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony. As a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the batons of such conductors as Jacques Lacombe, Simon Rattle, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Brian has been featured on American Public Media’s radio program “Pipedreams,” on the Notre Dame Children’s Choir’s CD “O Day of Peace,” and in a video showcase of Austin’s Op. 319 produced by the Organ Media Foundation.
Brian has participated in summer composition programs at Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music and with the European American Musical Alliance at the Schola Cantorum in Paris and his compositions have been performed throughout the United States. His compositions include his “Scherzo” for organ, “The Windows” for choir and orchestra, liturgical music including his “Service in B-flat,” and a corpus of sacred music for choir and instrumental ensembles. His cantata, “Passages from Luke,” is available in three versions: for piano four-hands, for string orchestra and organ, and for full orchestra. Brian serves as Dean of the North Shore chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and is a member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
For more information, visit: www.brianschoettler.com
Recently, Brian has been a guest performer with the Chicago Symphony, the Elmhurst Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony. As a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the batons of such conductors as Jacques Lacombe, Simon Rattle, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Brian has been featured on American Public Media’s radio program “Pipedreams,” on the Notre Dame Children’s Choir’s CD “O Day of Peace,” and in a video showcase of Austin’s Op. 319 produced by the Organ Media Foundation.
Brian has participated in summer composition programs at Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music and with the European American Musical Alliance at the Schola Cantorum in Paris and his compositions have been performed throughout the United States. His compositions include his “Scherzo” for organ, “The Windows” for choir and orchestra, liturgical music including his “Service in B-flat,” and a corpus of sacred music for choir and instrumental ensembles. His cantata, “Passages from Luke,” is available in three versions: for piano four-hands, for string orchestra and organ, and for full orchestra. Brian serves as Dean of the North Shore chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and is a member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
For more information, visit: www.brianschoettler.com
Brian Schoettler serves as Minister of Music & Organist at First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois where he directs their Chancel, Festival, Handbell, and Children’s Choirs and plays their recently restored Austin organs (IV/78, II/15).
Melissa Plamann
Dr. Melissa Plamann is the Wanda L. Bass Chair of Organ and Professor of Music at Oklahoma City University’s Bass School of Music; she also serves as Artist-in-Residence at Westminster Presbyterian Church in OKC and organist for the St. Paul School of Theology. A Wisconsin native, Plamann holds organ performance degrees from Valparaiso University and Emory University, and she was awarded her DMA from Indiana University-Bloomington, where she studied with Dr. Larry Smith.
Plamann maintains an active performing schedule, and she particularly enjoys programming 20th- and 21st-century works and collaborative pieces featuring other instruments with the organ. She is an active member and past dean of the Oklahoma City chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and she has served as an executive board member of the Oklahoma Alliance for Liturgy and the Arts, a non-profit organization that fosters liturgical art and encourages creative collaboration between artists, religious groups, and the larger community.
Plamann maintains an active performing schedule, and she particularly enjoys programming 20th- and 21st-century works and collaborative pieces featuring other instruments with the organ. She is an active member and past dean of the Oklahoma City chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and she has served as an executive board member of the Oklahoma Alliance for Liturgy and the Arts, a non-profit organization that fosters liturgical art and encourages creative collaboration between artists, religious groups, and the larger community.
Dr. Melissa Plamann is the Wanda L. Bass Chair of Organ and Professor of Music at Oklahoma City University’s Bass School of Music; she also serves as Artist-in-Residence at Westminster Presbyterian Church in OKC and organist for the St. Paul School of Theology.
Bruce Bengtson
After over 40 years as Director of Music at Luther Memorial Church in Madison WI, Bruce Bengtson retired in 2018. Beginning organ study in Salem, Oregon, at the age of 11, he earned degrees in organ performance at Southern Methodist University and Valparaiso University, winning state and national competitions during his college years. Bruce has been featured in concerts in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Europe. He continues to play services and concerts, accompany vocalists/instrumentalists, teach organ lessons, and is a member of the Organ Historical Society, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and the American Guild of Organists. He assists in playing for Masses at Our Lady of Guadalupe Pastorate (currently at St. James Church) in downtown Madison.
After over 40 years as Director of Music at Luther Memorial Church in Madison WI, Bruce Bengtson retired in 2018.
John Sittard
John Sittard, a native of Massachusetts, received a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree in Organ, as well as further post-graduate instruction, from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music at Bloomington.
Following his studies, Mr. Sittard served as Assistant Organist at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. John has gone on to serve cathedrals and parishes in Massachusetts, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan. He currently serves the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin as Director of Music for the diocese, and for the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
John has been heard in concert and liturgy throughout the United States, Great Britain, and Scotland. An active composer, he has published liturgical and choral music for CanticaNova Publications and GIA Publications. He has recorded a CD featuring the organs of the Cathedral of St. Paul (Worcester, MA), and appears on the Great Organs of Worcester CD, produced by the Worcester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He is married to Siegrid Marks Sittard, who is a professional soprano and voice teacher. They have a son, Luke, who is a professional jazz guitarist.
Following his studies, Mr. Sittard served as Assistant Organist at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. John has gone on to serve cathedrals and parishes in Massachusetts, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan. He currently serves the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin as Director of Music for the diocese, and for the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
John has been heard in concert and liturgy throughout the United States, Great Britain, and Scotland. An active composer, he has published liturgical and choral music for CanticaNova Publications and GIA Publications. He has recorded a CD featuring the organs of the Cathedral of St. Paul (Worcester, MA), and appears on the Great Organs of Worcester CD, produced by the Worcester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He is married to Siegrid Marks Sittard, who is a professional soprano and voice teacher. They have a son, Luke, who is a professional jazz guitarist.
John Sittard, a native of Massachusetts, received a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music.
Luke Staisiunas
Luke Staisiunas is a versatile musician and technician based in Philadelphia. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, his studies under Dr. Adam Pajan, Dr, Damin Spritzer, and Dr. John Schwandt included a diverse array of musical endeavors, alongside his training in pipe organ technology.
Mr. Staisiunas serves as Organist-Choirmaster at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Roxborough, Philadelphia, a historic Anglo-Catholic parish filled with Victorian charm and functional interior gas-lights, and is one of the Assistant Organists to Peter Richard Conte on the world-famous Wanamaker Organ. During the summer recital season, he is a frequent performer on the organs of Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.
On the other side of the bench, he is one of the restoration technicians in the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ Shop, as well as a freelance technician in and around Philadelphia.
Mr. Staisiunas remains steadfast in his commitment to advocacy and promotion of the rich tradition of the pipe organ and its music, serving as a board member and Secretary of the American Theatre Organ Society; the board of the Dickinson Theatre Organ Society; and as a consultant, technician, and performer for the Garden State Theatre Organ Society.
Mr. Staisiunas serves as Organist-Choirmaster at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Roxborough, Philadelphia, a historic Anglo-Catholic parish filled with Victorian charm and functional interior gas-lights, and is one of the Assistant Organists to Peter Richard Conte on the world-famous Wanamaker Organ. During the summer recital season, he is a frequent performer on the organs of Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.
On the other side of the bench, he is one of the restoration technicians in the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ Shop, as well as a freelance technician in and around Philadelphia.
Mr. Staisiunas remains steadfast in his commitment to advocacy and promotion of the rich tradition of the pipe organ and its music, serving as a board member and Secretary of the American Theatre Organ Society; the board of the Dickinson Theatre Organ Society; and as a consultant, technician, and performer for the Garden State Theatre Organ Society.
Luke Staisiunas is a versatile musician and technician based in Philadelphia.
Andrew Schaeffer
A Chicago native, Dr. Andrew Schaeffer serves as the Director of Music and Organist at Luther Memorial Church in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. He holds degrees in organ and church music from St. Olaf College, Yale University, and the University of Oklahoma. His doctoral research focused on the role of the pipe organ in American Freemasonry during the first half of the twentieth century. In addition, he has recently authored a book chapter on communal Masonic singing that was included in the Oxford Handbook of Community Singing, published by Oxford University Press in May, 2024.
In addition to his position at Luther Memorial, Schaeffer serves as the Editor-at-Large of The Diapason, one of the oldest and largest American journals devoted to organ, harpsichord, and church music, and he has served as the Instructor of Organ at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin.
In addition to his position at Luther Memorial, Schaeffer serves as the Editor-at-Large of The Diapason, one of the oldest and largest American journals devoted to organ, harpsichord, and church music, and he has served as the Instructor of Organ at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin.
A Chicago native, Dr. Andrew Schaeffer serves as the Director of Music and Organist at Luther Memorial Church in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.
Daniel Schwandt
Dr. Daniel Schwandt is currently the Associate Director of Music at Trinity English Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne and University Organist and Lecturer in Music at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he teaches organ, harpsichord, and keyboard skills. He also teaches organ at Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Schwandt holds organ and sacred music degrees from St. Olaf College and the University of Notre Dame. Prior to graduate studies, Schwandt served as the Cantor of Lutheran congregations in Minneapolis and Chicago and was the Seminary Cantor of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He has served the OHS as a member of the National Council/Board of Directors where he was Councillor for Conventions and chair of the Distinguished Service Award Committee. He was a Biggs Fellow in 1999 and a featured performer at the 2017 Twin Cities OHS National Convention.His organ and choral compositions are published by Augsburg Fortress, MorningStar Music, and GIA Publications.
Schwandt holds organ and sacred music degrees from St. Olaf College and the University of Notre Dame. Prior to graduate studies, Schwandt served as the Cantor of Lutheran congregations in Minneapolis and Chicago and was the Seminary Cantor of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He has served the OHS as a member of the National Council/Board of Directors where he was Councillor for Conventions and chair of the Distinguished Service Award Committee. He was a Biggs Fellow in 1999 and a featured performer at the 2017 Twin Cities OHS National Convention.His organ and choral compositions are published by Augsburg Fortress, MorningStar Music, and GIA Publications.
Dr. Daniel Schwandt is currently the Associate Director of Music at Trinity English Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne and University Organist and Lecturer in Music at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he teaches organ, harpsichord, and keyboard skills.
David Jonies
David Jonies is Director of Music and Organist at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, where he plays the three organs by Flentrop and Casavant for Archdiocesan and Parish liturgies as well as in concert. Prior to his appointment in Chicago, he held positions at St. Joseph & St. Patrick Parish in Escanaba (Michigan), Westminster Cathedral in London, and the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace.
A native of Germany, he holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg and the Performer's Certificate from the Royal Academy of Music in London. His teachers have included James O'Donnell, David Titterington, Günther Kaunzinger and Gerhard Weinberger
Described as a “gem” (The American Organist) and an "impeccable" performer (Bonner Generalanzeiger), David enjoys an excellent reputation among his colleagues as a concert organist and church musician. Known for his wide range of repertoire, David was awarded the 1st prize at the 1999 Landau International Organ Competition.
International concert appearances include Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Westminster Abbey and the London Handel Festival in the U. K., the Pusan Bach Festival in South Korea, the Cathedral at Budejovice in the Czech Republic, the Bluval Music Festival and the Cathedrals of Bamberg, Mainz, Passau and Trier in Germany.
In the United States, he has performed at Chicago's Orchestra Hall with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, at Marcus Center with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, at the Pine Mountain Music Festival (Michigan), Piccolo Spoleto Festival (South Carolina), at the Cathedrals of Seattle (Washington), Helena (Montana), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Hartford (Connecticut), Sioux City (Iowa), Houston (Texas) and recitals and workshops for American Guild of Organists Chapters and Dioceses around the Midwest. He has been a featured artist for national conventions of the Organ Historical Society and the National Association for Pastoral Musicians.
A native of Germany, he holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg and the Performer's Certificate from the Royal Academy of Music in London. His teachers have included James O'Donnell, David Titterington, Günther Kaunzinger and Gerhard Weinberger
Described as a “gem” (The American Organist) and an "impeccable" performer (Bonner Generalanzeiger), David enjoys an excellent reputation among his colleagues as a concert organist and church musician. Known for his wide range of repertoire, David was awarded the 1st prize at the 1999 Landau International Organ Competition.
International concert appearances include Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Westminster Abbey and the London Handel Festival in the U. K., the Pusan Bach Festival in South Korea, the Cathedral at Budejovice in the Czech Republic, the Bluval Music Festival and the Cathedrals of Bamberg, Mainz, Passau and Trier in Germany.
In the United States, he has performed at Chicago's Orchestra Hall with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, at Marcus Center with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, at the Pine Mountain Music Festival (Michigan), Piccolo Spoleto Festival (South Carolina), at the Cathedrals of Seattle (Washington), Helena (Montana), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Hartford (Connecticut), Sioux City (Iowa), Houston (Texas) and recitals and workshops for American Guild of Organists Chapters and Dioceses around the Midwest. He has been a featured artist for national conventions of the Organ Historical Society and the National Association for Pastoral Musicians.
David Jonies is Director of Music and Organist at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
Sheri Masiakowski
Sheri Masiakowski DMA serves the School Sisters of St. Francis as Music Archivist.
In this role she prepares manuscripts for publication in their Heritage Music Series. The compositions, written by the Sisters, are available through their website.
John Chappell Stowe DMA guided the research for her doctoral dissertation “The Solo Organ Works of Sr. Theophane Hytrek OSF” (available on ProQuest) much of whose music was premiered in our concert site — St. Joseph Chapel. Sheri is also Minister of Music for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Permanent Diaconate Formation Program and Greenfield Avenue Presbyterian Church.
In this role she prepares manuscripts for publication in their Heritage Music Series. The compositions, written by the Sisters, are available through their website.
John Chappell Stowe DMA guided the research for her doctoral dissertation “The Solo Organ Works of Sr. Theophane Hytrek OSF” (available on ProQuest) much of whose music was premiered in our concert site — St. Joseph Chapel. Sheri is also Minister of Music for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Permanent Diaconate Formation Program and Greenfield Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Sheri Masiakowski DMA serves the School Sisters of St. Francis as Music Archivist.
David Porth
David Porth has served Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, since 2014, where he currently teaches Grades 7-8 and serves as Worship Coordinator. In this role, David is responsible for worship planning, as well as leading as the head organist and directing the adult choir. He works to incorporate a wide variety of instrumentalists into weekly worship services.
David holds an undergraduate degree from Martin Luther College and a master’s degree from Concordia University Wisconsin. His passion for music and education have led him to also serve as an adjunct professor of organ at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee.
In addition to his roles at Pilgrim and WLC, David is an associate organist and a member of the Fine Arts Committee at St. Marcus Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. He is also an active member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM), continuing to engage with the broader community of church musicians.
David lives in Menomonee Falls with his wife and two children.
David holds an undergraduate degree from Martin Luther College and a master’s degree from Concordia University Wisconsin. His passion for music and education have led him to also serve as an adjunct professor of organ at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee.
In addition to his roles at Pilgrim and WLC, David is an associate organist and a member of the Fine Arts Committee at St. Marcus Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. He is also an active member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM), continuing to engage with the broader community of church musicians.
David lives in Menomonee Falls with his wife and two children.
David Porth has served Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, since 2014, where he currently teaches Grades 7-8 and serves as Worship Coordinator.
Catherine Rodland
Catherine Rodland ’87, whose playing has been described as “transcendent” (The American Organist), is artist in residence at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She graduated cum laude with departmental distinction in organ performance from St. Olaf in 1987 and received both the MM and DMA from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where she was a student of Russell Saunders. At Eastman, Catherine received the prestigious Performer's Certificate and the Ann Anway Award for excellence in organ performance. She is a prizewinner in several competitions, including the 1994 and 1998 American Guild of Organists Young Artists Competition, the 1994 Calgary International Organ Competition, and the 1988 International Organ Competition at the University of Michigan for which she received first prize. Catherine has concertized extensively throughout the United States and Canada, and has been featured often on the syndicated radio program Pipedreams on National Public Radio. At St. Olaf College, Catherine teaches a full studio of organ students as well as music theory and ear training classes. She performs regularly at St. Olaf, dedicating the Holtkamp organ in Boe Memorial Chapel in 2007. Catherine presented a series of recitals in Boe Chapel featuring the complete organ symphonies of Louis Vierne, after spending a sabbatical leave researching organs in Paris. Recently, Catherine has been developing a program of works by female and under-represented composers, publishing an article in The American Organist magazine about the research project “Discovering New Voices” done by St. Olaf organ students in the spring of 2022.
Dr. Rodland has recorded two CDs: Dedication on the Nichols and Simpson Organ at West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey and American Weavings with violist and duo partner Carol Rodland. The Rodland Duo is currently part of the Concert Artists Cooperative, and was featured at both the American Guild of Organists national convention in Houston, Texas, and the American Viola Congress in Oberlin, Ohio.
Dr. Rodland has recorded two CDs: Dedication on the Nichols and Simpson Organ at West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey and American Weavings with violist and duo partner Carol Rodland. The Rodland Duo is currently part of the Concert Artists Cooperative, and was featured at both the American Guild of Organists national convention in Houston, Texas, and the American Viola Congress in Oberlin, Ohio.
Catherine Rodland ’87, whose playing has been described as “transcendent” (The American Organist), is artist in residence at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.
John Schwandt
Dr. John D. Schwandt is perhaps one of the most multi-faceted organ professionals today. At home in many genres of music, he can be encountered in concert across America, on many episodes of American Public Media’s syndicated program Pipedreams, accompanying silent films in churches, concert halls, and theaters, on a CD by the rock band Shiny Toy Guns, as leader of hymn festivals, consultant on organ projects, as a voicer and tonal finisher, and as judge and clinician in many settings. He is well known for his ability as improvisateur and for engaging and exciting audiences of every kind. After 25 years of teaching in university settings, Dr. Schwandt established the American Organ Academy (AOA), a private and cooperative educational venture offering training in all aspects of organ building and playing. With the cooperation of a visionary leadership team, the AOA is poised to meet the emerging needs of a rapidly changing organ landscape.
Dr. John D. Schwandt is perhaps one of the most multi-faceted organ professionals today.
Nicholas Renkosik
Based out of out of Kenosha, WI, nestled between Chicago and Milwaukee, Nick Renkosik is a nationally acclaimed organist that has performed at such venues as Sanfilippo’s Place De La Musique in Barrington Hills, IL; the Oriental and Riverside Theatres in Milwaukee, WI; the Coronado Theatre in Rockford, IL; the Rialto Theatre in Joliet, IL; the Tampa Theatre in Tampa, FL; the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, MO; the Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar, CA; Orchestra Hall in Chicago, IL; the Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, NY; and various other venues across the United States.
Nick's education in music began at age four. In high school, he studied piano with Barbara Paul of Crystal Lake, IL, and organ with Jelani Eddington of Racine, WI. In 2021, he formally received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Instrumental Performance (organ and piano) at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI, where he was a student in the studios of Mr. Christopher Berry (organ) and Dr. Wael Farouk (piano). He also received a Master’s of Science in Business Design and Innovation at Carthage College in 2024.
Nick competed in the 2017 American Theatre Organ Society's Young Organist's Competition in Tampa, FL, and was placed as a runner up.
Aside from his solo performances, Nick is also organist and choir accompanist at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg, IL, and is the lead organ restoration technician for JL Weiler, Inc. in Chicago, IL. He is also a regularly appearing organist at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee, WI, presenting pre-picture organ music. In his free time, he enjoys collecting and restoring art deco and art nouveau objects d'art and antiques, time spent on the shores of Lake Michigan, and reading.
Nick's education in music began at age four. In high school, he studied piano with Barbara Paul of Crystal Lake, IL, and organ with Jelani Eddington of Racine, WI. In 2021, he formally received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Instrumental Performance (organ and piano) at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI, where he was a student in the studios of Mr. Christopher Berry (organ) and Dr. Wael Farouk (piano). He also received a Master’s of Science in Business Design and Innovation at Carthage College in 2024.
Nick competed in the 2017 American Theatre Organ Society's Young Organist's Competition in Tampa, FL, and was placed as a runner up.
Aside from his solo performances, Nick is also organist and choir accompanist at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg, IL, and is the lead organ restoration technician for JL Weiler, Inc. in Chicago, IL. He is also a regularly appearing organist at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee, WI, presenting pre-picture organ music. In his free time, he enjoys collecting and restoring art deco and art nouveau objects d'art and antiques, time spent on the shores of Lake Michigan, and reading.
Based out of out of Kenosha, WI, nestled between Chicago and Milwaukee, Nick Renkosik is a nationally acclaimed organist.
Charles Barland
A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Charles Barland is Professor of Music and University Organist at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa.
He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Carroll University, Waukehsa, WI with Phyllis Stringham, the Master of Arts degree at the University of Iowa with Delbert Disselhorst and Delores Bruch, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kansas with James Higdon and Michael Bauer. In addition to his duties at UD, he is director of music at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Dubuque and Organist/Choir Director at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church also in Dubuque.
As an organist, he has performed throughout the United States and in Germany, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England including performances in Armagh, Glasgow, London, Munich, Boston, Orlando, St. Paul, Chicago, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.
He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Carroll University, Waukehsa, WI with Phyllis Stringham, the Master of Arts degree at the University of Iowa with Delbert Disselhorst and Delores Bruch, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kansas with James Higdon and Michael Bauer. In addition to his duties at UD, he is director of music at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Dubuque and Organist/Choir Director at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church also in Dubuque.
As an organist, he has performed throughout the United States and in Germany, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England including performances in Armagh, Glasgow, London, Munich, Boston, Orlando, St. Paul, Chicago, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.
A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Charles Barland is Professor of Music and University Organist at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa.
Jillian Gardner
Jillian Gardner is the Director of Music at First United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama where she serves as primary organist and oversees ensembles for adults and children. She is also the adjunct instructor of organ at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), the only college in the state of Alabama that offers a degree in organ or church music. Previously, she finished a 7-year term as the Councillor for Young Organists on the American Guild of Organists National Board. In the last year of the position, 2022, she ushered in a program that brought over 1,200 new young organists into the Guild as well as creating and executing a new organ scholar program for young professionals to continue learning from highly regarded church musicians.
Praised for being “solid and satisfying…the program was carefully considered and well-performed; it had something for everyone” (The Dessert Wind), Gardner strives to make the organ accessible to everyone by including much variety in her selections. She is regularly invited to be an artist at venues and conventions around the world. Gardner has worn her signature pink organ shoes in concert in venues across the United States from New York City to San Francisco as well as several venues in Canada and the United Kingdom. Highlights include concerts at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the Cadet Chapel in West Point, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. She has been honored to be a featured artist on the radio show Pipedreams, at Organ Historical Society Conventions, American Guild of Organists Conventions, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and also called on to guest teach/give workshops, most recently at the Baylor University summer organ institute.
Gardner has a wide range of solo repertoire from the Baroque period up to the 21st century including her own transcriptions and commissioned works. Her transcription of “Grande valse villageoise” from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty ballet is published with ECS Publishing and “would make a fun recital piece” (Mark Quarmby). She is highly sought after as a collaborator and accompanist and has enjoyed performing concerts of brass and organ music, voice and organ music as well as being a featured soloist with chamber ensembles, choirs, and symphony orchestras.
A graduate in the top of her class of Oberlin College and Conservatory (B.M.) and Baylor University (M.M. and A.D.), Gardner’s primary teachers include Dr. Isabelle Demers, James David Christie, Marie-Louise Langlais, and Stephen Best. As an award-winning organist, she has taken many top prizes and awards including the Regional Competition for Young Organists, the Arthur Pointer Competition, and was selected as one of the nation’s 2015 inaugural “Top 20 under 30” organists in the nation by The Diapason magazine for her achievements.
Praised for being “solid and satisfying…the program was carefully considered and well-performed; it had something for everyone” (The Dessert Wind), Gardner strives to make the organ accessible to everyone by including much variety in her selections. She is regularly invited to be an artist at venues and conventions around the world. Gardner has worn her signature pink organ shoes in concert in venues across the United States from New York City to San Francisco as well as several venues in Canada and the United Kingdom. Highlights include concerts at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the Cadet Chapel in West Point, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. She has been honored to be a featured artist on the radio show Pipedreams, at Organ Historical Society Conventions, American Guild of Organists Conventions, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and also called on to guest teach/give workshops, most recently at the Baylor University summer organ institute.
Gardner has a wide range of solo repertoire from the Baroque period up to the 21st century including her own transcriptions and commissioned works. Her transcription of “Grande valse villageoise” from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty ballet is published with ECS Publishing and “would make a fun recital piece” (Mark Quarmby). She is highly sought after as a collaborator and accompanist and has enjoyed performing concerts of brass and organ music, voice and organ music as well as being a featured soloist with chamber ensembles, choirs, and symphony orchestras.
A graduate in the top of her class of Oberlin College and Conservatory (B.M.) and Baylor University (M.M. and A.D.), Gardner’s primary teachers include Dr. Isabelle Demers, James David Christie, Marie-Louise Langlais, and Stephen Best. As an award-winning organist, she has taken many top prizes and awards including the Regional Competition for Young Organists, the Arthur Pointer Competition, and was selected as one of the nation’s 2015 inaugural “Top 20 under 30” organists in the nation by The Diapason magazine for her achievements.
Jillian Gardner is the Director of Music at First United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama where she serves as primary organist and oversees ensembles for adults and children.
Karen Beaumont
American organist and composer Karen Beaumont (b. 1965) received her degree in Music History from the University of Wisconsin and studied organ with Gerre Hancock, John Behnke, Jeffrey Peterson, and Carol Haakenson. Beaumont has performed as a recitalist in numerous venues throughout the USA and the UK. From 1988 to 2011 she provided the organ and choral music for St. James Episcopal Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her album of classic French noëls was released on the Pro Organo label in 2020. Her musical compositions have been published by Lorenz, Leupold Editions, Fagus-Music, and SMP Press.
American organist and composer Karen Beaumont (b. 1965) received her degree in Music History from the University of Wisconsin and studied organ with Gerre Hancock, John Behnke, Jeffrey Peterson, and Carol Haakenson.