Official Website:
http://www.drgeorgebaker.com/
Recordings:
Hommage à Pierre Cochereau
Improvisations by George Baker, David Briggs, Thierry Escaich and Loïc Mallié.
Tag Archives: American
William Porter
Porter studied organ at Oberlin College and Yale University where he received the DMA degree in 1980. He taught harpsichord and organ at Oberlin from 1974 to 1986 and taught organ, music history and music theory at the New England Conservatory in Boston from 1985 to 2002. He has also taught organ improvisation at the Eastman School of Music and McGill University.
He has an article on North German Improvisational Practice in GOArt Research Reports Vol. 2 and an article on contrapuntal improvisation in the GOArt Research Reports, Vol. 3.
You can hear him on Spotify.
Recordings:
An Organ Portrait
Includes and improvised Magnificat setting.
Videos:
Three excerpts from a masterclass given by William Porter on Hymn-Tune Improvisations at the AGO National Convention in Washington, DC in July 2010:
William Porter – Hymn-Tune Improvisation Masterclass, Part I – Washington, DC
William Porter – Hymn-Tune Improvisation Masterclass, Part II – Washington, DC
William Porter – Hymn-Tune Improvisation Masterclass, Part III – Washington, DC
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 1
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 2
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 3
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 4
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 5
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Prelude
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Canon
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Intermezzo
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Fugue
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: I (Theme and Plein jeu)
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: II (Scherzo)
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: III (Meditation)
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: IV (Introduction and Passacaglia)
Vidas Pinkevicius
Vidas Pinkevicius graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius with Bachelor‘s and Master’s degree in Organ Performance. He also holds Master’s degree from the Eastern Michigan University (USA) under Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (USA) with the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance. At UNL, he defended his DMA dissertation on Improvisation of Keyboard Preludes in the Style of J.S. Bach.
Vidas Pinkevicius has his own channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/vidpinkus
He also offers a free keyboard prelude improvisation course via email here.
Videos:
Vidas Pinkevicius – Painting: Pieta
Vidas Pinkevicius – Painting: Sleeping Beauty
Gerre Hancock
Gerre Hancock is best known for his service as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City from 1971 to 2004.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.
Book:
Improvising: How to Master the Art
Oxford University Press
One of the most recent essential method books from a master teacher!
Recordings:
Gerre Hancock: Fanfare
Also Available as an mp3 download
Gerre Hancock: Christmas Improvisations
On a sunday afternon: Gerre Hancock Live at Washington National Cathedral
Great Hymns Of Faith
University Of Texas Chamber Singers under the direction of James Morrow
Gerre Hancock provides fabulous improvised hymn accompaniments, interludes, and free improvisations based upon hymn tunes on the Visser-Rowland at the University of Texas at Austin.
Videos:
Doxology October 6, 2002- St. Thomas
Final hymn and improvised Organ Voluntary on ‘Gott sei Dank’ – May 18, 2003 – St. Thomas
Improvised versets on the Magnificat Solemn Tone – April 4, 2004 – St. Thomas
David Briggs
David Briggs is organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Previously he served as Artist in Residence at St. James Cathedral, Toronto.
Complete bio.
David Briggs has a YouTube Channel. You can also hear him on Spotify.
Recordings:
Sounds French – David Briggs Plays the Organ of Blackburn Cathedral
Includes an improvised symphony by David Briggs as well as two improvisations by Pierre Cochereau transcribed and played by David Briggs.
Sounds Artistic
Includes an improvised suite of dances and Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky.
Organ Spectacular
Includes improvised Prelude, Adagio and Chorale Variations on Ein Feste Burg.
Briggs: Mass for Notre Dame
In addition to the choral music of David Briggs sung by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge under the direction of Stephen Layton, David Briggs improvised other parts of the traditional mass when the organ would play without the choir singing.
Hommage à Pierre Cochereau
Improvisations by George Baker, David Briggs, Thierry Escaich and Loïc Mallié.
Videos:
Fugue at St. Sulpice
Sortie at St. Sulpice
Offertoire at St. Sulpice
Sarabande Improvisée – St Wenzelkirche, Naumburg
Justin Bischof
Website:
http://justinbischof.com/
Organist, conductor, pianist, coach, producer, educator, and composer Justin Bischof won first prize in the 2000 American Guild of Organists National Improvisation Competition held in Seattle. He received a doctor of musical arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music in 1998 where he studied with McNeil Robinson.
Justin has his own channel at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ethrec324