Will Buthod

Will Buthod, Director of Music Ministries at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, began performing as a Classical pianist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1994, he won the Tulsa Young Pianist competition. In 1997 he won the Tulsa Young Artist Competition, and debuted as soloist with the Tulsa Philharmonic. Will formed a jazz piano trio which performed in Oklahoma, opening for the Count Basie Orchestra in 1998. That same year, Buthod won first place in the Albert Schweitzer National Organ Competition in Connecticut.

Mr. Buthod attended Hunter College in New York City, earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music, and continued as a keyboardist, church musician and composer. Will was featured in the American Guild of Organists magazine, appearing on a Master’s Series video released by AGO. In 1999, he won the Charlotte Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians. An avid composer, Mr. Buthod’s first major work “Mass in Dialogue” was premi- ered in 2000 in a choir tour. In 2005 he presented “Inner Works,” a concert of original compositions of many styles. He has written over 300 pieces to date, from R&B tunes to classical trios. Mr. Buthod won several scholarships for composition, including one from the Manhattan School of Music. He performed as keyboardist for several bands, and is at home with varied styles from Country to Latin, Broad- way to Hip-Hop. He performed with or recorded for artists Jimmy Heath, Denyce Graves, Ben Vereen, Jay-Z, , , , Mashonda, Maiysha, Melonie Daniels, and Autumn., and recorded a live album with Grammy-nominated performer Maiysha at the Blue Note. He has played for well-known preachers: the Revereds Al Sharpton, Timothy Wright, Dr. James A. Forbes Jr., Johnny Ray Youngblood, and Bishop Albert Jamison, Jr. Will’s jazz trio performed around New York in clubs and concert se- ries. He also became involved in the New York gospel mu- sic scene, playing in churches in Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx, earning a place as pianist for the Harlem Gospel Choir, and was a regular musician for services at the New York Episcopal Center, presided by the Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States.

After graduating from college, Mr. Buthod took a position at the American Cathedral in Paris. He served as the pianist for the U.S. Ambassador to France, presenting private concerts of American music for foreign dig- nitaries. He was accepted into a music diploma program at Paris Conservatory. In 2005 one of his works for choir and soloists premiered at the historic Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. While in Paris Will played and composed for church, taught and coached at both vocal and instrumental studios.

Moving back to New York City in 2006, Will was named Artist-in-Residence at the Church of the Holy Trini- ty in NYC. From 2006-2011, he served as Minister of Music at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in Brooklyn, and Organist at the Bronx Seventh-Day Adventist Church. During those 5 years, he also became Director of the Chorus of Communities in New Jersey, and Principal Accompanist of the Empire City Men’s Chorus in New York City. Buthod returned to Tulsa in 2011, serving briefly as Director of Music at the Church of St. Mary, Tulesa’s largest Catholic parish. Relocating to Phoenix, Arizona in 2012, Will served as Principal Organist and Honors Choir Coordinator at the Cathedral of Sts. Simon and Jude, as well as Organist and Associate Musician at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Avondale, Arizona. Buthod moved to Atlanta this past October, where he serves as Director of Music Ministries at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Haiti Benefit Concert-Saturday, October 28-7 p.m.