Chelsea Chen in Concert
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PIPELINES NASHVILLE CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS MARCH, 2016 DEAN’S LETTER Dear Nashville Colleagues, compiling such an excellent slate of officers, and thanks to all the nominees for agreeing to run! Thanks to all of you who attended Stuart Forster’s workshop on hymn playing at Vine Street Christian As most of you know, April’s program is sponsored Church on February 1. Thanks also to Julia Callaway by AGO National and will feature our own Wilma for coordinating dinner and to Elizabeth Smith for Jensen in recital at 7:00 PM on Friday, April 8 at West doing a great deal of organizational work to help that End United Methodist Church. There is no charge program come off successfully. Our next program will for admission to the recital; however, tickets for the feature concert organist Chelsea Chen on Monday, gala that follows are $150 each (75% of which is tax- March 7th at Covenant Presbyterian. As many of you deductible). Please note: Even if you’re not planning know, Chelsea is a first-rate performer, and her pro- to attend the gala, the event organizers do request gram should be a real treat, especially given inspiring that you RSVP online for the recital. To do so, please space and magnificent organ. Please make plans to at- point your browser to https://www.agohq.org/2016- tend, and please invite your family, friends, and choir gala-tickets-contributions/ and enter the number of members! recital tickets you would like to request. You may also purchase gala tickets on this page; the gala will be held Though we normally have officer elections in April, at the Vanderbilt University Club. I hope to see a huge the special nature of that month’s program precludes turnout from our own membership at this program as the possibility of elections that evening; therefore, we a demonstration of our love and support for Wilma. will vote for new officers during the dinner hour on Go reserve those tickets! March 7th. You will find pictures and biographies of the nominees included in this issue of Pipelines, as Best wishes! well as a voting ballot. Thanks very much to Richard Nick Bergin Shadinger and the Nominating Committee for Dean MARCH PROGRAM — MONDAY, MARCH 7 — 7:30 PM CHELSEA CHEN IN CONCERT Covenant Presbyterian Church • 33 Burton Hills Boulevard • Nashville, Tennessee 37215 DINNER — 6:30 PM — Reservations, due by March 2, can be made online @ www.nashvilleago.org, click on Dinner Reservations, or contact Linda Winters at 615-456-2065 or @ [email protected] MEMBER NEWS JOB OPENINGS Wilma Jensen will spend a week in San Antonio, Texas, First United Methodist Church, McMinnville, TN has an participating in an English Cathedral Music Festival. She immediate opening for an Organist for one Sunday service will be working with the choir of St. Mark’s Episcopal (10:30 AM) and Wednesday night rehearsal each week, as Church, conducting the choir for the Sunday morning, well as any special services during the church year. Pia- March 6th service, and a Service of Choral Evensong that nists are welcome to apply on a temporary basis. Salary is day. Wilma will play a 30 minute pre-Evensong organ negotiable. Contact Donna Campbell, Director of Music, recital featuring the works of Vierne, James, and Franck. at 931-808-8415 or Senior Pastor, James Johnson at 931- She will also conduct a choral reading session for the San 473-4419. Antonio AGO chapter on Saturday, March 5th. Elizabeth Smith of Lois Fyfe Music will join Wilma and accompany Northside Drive Baptist Church (NDBC), Atlanta, GA all rehearsals, choral performances, and the AGO choral is accepting applications for a part-time Director of Music reading session. In addition Wilma will conduct an Organ Ministries, who will be responsible for implementing all Masterclass for the combined music schools of the Univer- aspects of music ministry in a church, which has a rich sity of Texas at San Antonio and Trinity University. history of liturgical worship and fine music. Applicants should have an advanced knowledge of music repertoire We express our condolences to Rhonda Swanson on the and demonstrate competence and creativity as a conduc- loss of her brother-in-law, and to the families of Robert tor of musical ensembles. The church’s search committee Brown and Marjorie Jennings. will also receive and consider applications from individuals with demonstrable skills to serve as both choirmaster and Our student member, Chase Benefiel, has won a $10,000 a organist. Complete job description is available at church’s year scholarship to study organ at the University of Ala- website: northsidedrive.org. Send direct inquiries to Jo bama. Lanier Meeks at [email protected]. Complete ap- plication materials, including a cover letter, a curriculum UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA vitae with detailed listing of education and work experi- SACRED MUSIC WORKSHIP ence, and a description of the applicant’s philosophy/the- ology of church music ministry (not to exceed one page) You are invited to attend the Ninth Annual Sacred Music should be sent electronically to musicdirectorsearch@ Workshop at the University of Florida on May 2-3, 2016. northsidedrive.org. No recordings should be submitted Our guest clinician this year is Andrew Walker. This year’s now. workshop will begin at 1:00 PM on Monday, May 2 and run until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 3 (with an optional master- St. James the Less’ Episcopal Church in Madison, TN is class on Tuesday evening). Come on Sunday if you want to seeking an organist/choir director for one Sunday morn- join our Gainesville chapter for our end of the year potluck! ing service and one rehearsal on Wednesday nights each week, as well as any special services during the church year. Our website has all of the details (including a download- (There are no Wednesday evening rehearsals in the sum- able registration form!): http://ufsmw.weebly.com mer months.) Candidate will also assist the church in the procurement of a new pipe or electronic organ to be placed PIPE ORGAN ENCOUNTER ADVANCED within the next 12-18 months. Salary is negotiable. Con- (POEA) tact the Reverend Robin Courtney, Parish Priest, at 615- Cincinnati Pipe Organ Encounter Advanced will take place 708-7337 or [email protected]. July 10-15, 2016 at the University of Cincinnati. Check out this educational and enjoyable week for advanced high St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Dalton, GA is seeking school organists at www.cincinnatiago.org/poea16. a part-time (20 hours per week) Director of Music and Organist who is familiar with Episcopal liturgical and AVAILABLE SUBSTITUTES Anglican musical traditions. Applicants should possess a good knowledge of classical sacred music, as well as more A current list of available substitutes can be found at our current music and be skilled in working with both adult Chapter Website, www.nashvilleago.org. and children’s choirs. The organ is a Holtkamp Opus 2014, II/26 with mechanical key action. Anglican Guild of 2016 AGO NATIONAL CONVENTION Organists’ guidelines will be used for salary. Contact the Priest-in-Charge, Rev. Beth Royalty at beth@stmarksdal- June 19-23, 2016 Houston, Texas ton.org for further information or to apply. agohouston2016.com Charlotte Hughes, Placement Chair MARCH 7 CHAPTER MEETING CHELSEA CHEN IN CONCERT Organist and composer Chelsea Chen (b. 1983) is internationally renowned for her concerts of “rare musicality” and “lovely lyrical grandeur,” and a compositional style that is “charming” and “irresist- ible” (Los Angeles Times). One of the most promising organists of her generation, Chelsea Chen has electrified audiences throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia in venues such as Singapore’s Esplanade, Hong Kong’s Cultural Centre, Kishinev’s National Organ Hall, and Philadel- phia’s Kimmel Center. As a composer she is broadening the classical organ repertoire with her own works based on Asian folksongs. Ms. Chen has soloed with orchestras throughout the world including the Wuhan Philharmonic in China, the Jakarta Simfonia in Indonesia, and the Juilliard Percussion Orchestra in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Committed to new music, she has premiered works by compos- ers throughout the world including Teddy Niedermaier (USA), Ola Gjeilo (Norway/USA), Jordan Kuspa (USA), Yui Kitamura (Japan/USA), Paul Desenne (Venezuela), Roderick Gorby (USA), and Andreas Kleinert (Germany). Ms. Chen has received acclaim as a composer since she premiered her own Taiwanese Suite (2003) and Taiwan Tableaux (2007) at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Recently her solo organ pieces have been performed in Canada and Taiwan, and her most recent concerto, Jasmine Fantasy (for violin, organ, and strings), has been performed by orchestras in the United States, China, and Indonesia. Her solo organ works were featured at the 2011 Region I/II and IV Conventions of the American Guild of Organists. The recipient of the 2009 Lili Boulanger Memorial Award and winner of the 2005 Augustana/Reuter National Organ Competition, Ms. Chen is a graduate of Juilliard, where she received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. She was also a full scholarship recipient at Yale University, where she earned an Artist Diploma. Her major organ teachers include Thomas Murray, John Weaver, Paul Jacobs, Monte Maxwell, and Leslie Robb, and her primary piano teachers include Baruch Arnon, Jane Bastien, and Lori Bastien Vickers. Ms. Chen has recorded multiple CDs: Reveries (2011) at Bethel University, Live at Heinz Chapel at the 2005 Convention of the American Institute of Organbuilders, and Treasures from the East with violinist Lewis Wong in 2010. Her playing has been aired on CNN.com, “Pipedreams” from American Public Media, Hawaii Public Radio, and Taiwan’s Good News Radio.