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Faculty BiographiesPipe Organ Encounter 2012July 22 — July 28Sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of theAmerican Guild of OrganistsChelsea ChenChris CookAdam DetznerRenee GehlbachMartin GreenJohn HowardAngela Kraft-CrossMarilou KratzensteinAlison LuedeckeRon McKeanMalou RogersBob ScholzLea Schmidt-RogersJeanine WalterLeslie Wolf Robb
Chelsea ChenChelsea Chen, organist and composer(b. 1983), is internationally renowned forher concerts of "rare musicality" and"lovely lyrical grandeur," and a compositional style that is "charming" and"irresistible" (Los Angeles Times).One of the most promising organists ofher generation, Chelsea Chen has electrified audiences throughout the UnitedStates, Europe, Australia, and Asia in venues such as Singapore's Esplanade, HongKong's Cultural Centre, Kishinev's National Organ Hall, and Philadelphia'sKimmel Center. As a composer she isbroadening the classical organ repertoirewith her own works based on Asian folksongs.Ms. Chen has soloed with orchestrasthroughout the world including the Wuhan Philharmonic in China, the JakartaSimfonia in Indonesia, and the Juilliard Percussion Orchestra in Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.Committed to new music, she has premiered several works by Juilliard composers, Teddy Niedermaier and Ola Gjeilo, and Yale composer, Jordan Kuspa. Appearing in concert with Juilliardharpist Arielle as the ensemble Duo Mango, she has championed works by Paul Desenne, YuiKitamura, and Roderick Gorby.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 receivedboth 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 teachersinclude Baruch Arnon, Jane Bastien and Lori Bastien Vickers.Ms. Chen has recorded multiple CDs: Reveries (2011) at Bethel University, Live at Heinz Chapel atthe 2005 Convention of the American Institute of Organbuilders, and Treasures from the Eastwith violinist Lewis Wong in 2010. Her playing has been aired on CNN.com, "Pipedreams" fromAmerican Public Media, Hawaii Public Radio, and Taiwan's Good News Radio. Her compositionsare exclusively available from Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc.Ms. Chen is Artist-in-Residence at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, and amember of Duo Wong-Chen with violinist Lewis Wong. In addition to music, she enjoys tennis(both as a player and spectator), ballroom dancing, and the latest/greatest in cell phone gadgetry.She heard her first organ concert exactly 15 years ago at the first San Diego POE!www.chelseachen.com
Christopher CookChristopher Cook got his start on the organ in middleschool when his piano teacher bought a Hammond B-3for her home studio. Soon he was playing Sunday evening services and even played at his high school commencement exercises. He majored in organ in collegeafter trying oboe and piano and received his Bachelorof Music Degree in Organ Performance.Currently he is Director of Traditional Music and Worship /Organist at Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church. He received his Doctorate in WorshipStudies at the Robert E. Webber Institute for WorshipStudies in Jacksonville, Florida.Dr. Cook is a well-known organ teacher in the Southern California region and his studentsregularly participate in the Spreckels Organ Society and American Guild of Organists student recitals and awards. Chris is active in the San Diego Chapter of the AGO and currentlyserves as auditor. He is treasurer for this POE 2012 . Chris has attended all the Pipe OrganEncounters in San Diego, and is especially happy to meet everyone here at the 2012!Adam DetznerAdam Detzner is a rising star as a junior at Stanford University, where he is double-majoring inMusic (concentrating in Organ Performance) and German Studies. At Stanford, he is a student of Dr. Robert Huw Morgan (organ) and Elaine Thornburgh (harpsichord). Adam hasperformed with the Stanford Philharmonia Orchestra as harpsichord concerto soloist andthe Stanford University Singers as organ accompanist and soloist. He has also performedwith the Chamber Chorale, Stanford's most prestigious singing group, and is an active participant in the Department of Music's chamber music program.In 2011, he won both the Chapter and Regional levels of the American Guild of OrganistsRegional Competition for Young Organists for Region IX . As one of the nine regional winners, Adam performed as a "Rising Star" at the AGO National Convention in Nashville, TN,in 2012.Adam has twice studied at the Oberlin Conservatory's Baroque Performance Institute,working with the renowned Lisa Goode Crawford and Webb Wiggins (harpsichord); andDrs. Jack Mitchener and Patrick Allen (organ).
In the summer of 2011, Adam was one of fifteen organists selected from across the countryto study and perform at Yale Organ Week, where he worked most closely with Dr. CaroleTerry (University of Washington) and Yale University Organist Thomas Murray.After one decade of piano study at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C., hemoved to the harpsichord, studying with Joseph Gascho, harpsichordist and founder of theearly music group Harmonious Blacksmith.His first organ teachers were Donald Sutherland, Coordinator of the Organ Department atthe Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Kyle Babin, Director of Music at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD. From 2009 to 2010 Adam servedas Assistant Organist at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Silver Spring, MD, where he regularly accompanied a semi-professional choir. He served under Director of Music Richard K.Fitzgerald, with whom he also studied church music skills.At Stanford, Adam was also the holder of a Fellowship in Religious Encounter, sponsoredby the University's Office of Religious Life. His other academic interests include philosophy,literature, and German language and culture. In his free time he loves to run, practice yoga,and explore the Bay Area.Renee GehlbachRenee Gehlbach is a junior studying Music Education at Azusa Pacific University. She hasstudied organ and piano for six years and is currently studying organ with Dr. Janet Harms.Over the past year, Renee has been a volunteer piano teacher at the Azusa Conservatory.She is currently the organist of Trinity Lutheran Church in Covina, and recently became apiano teacher at Mike’s Guitar World in GlendoraMartin GreenMartin Green is a native San Diegan who has played as both as soloperformer and accompanist throughout the US, as well as Mexico,Canada, and England, and appeared on NPR’s “Pipedreams Live!”broadcast from UNLV. He has prepared choirs and accompanied forsuch notable conductors as Sir David Wilcocks, John Rutter, DavidFlood, Martin Neary, and Duian Wolfe.Mr. Green is the Organist and Choirmaster of St Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown San Diego where he is responsible for a large program involving bothprofessional and volunteer singers, the boy choristers and the girls choristers, choral andorgan scholars, and serves as the primary organist and choral director for the Cathedral’sservices and diocesan functions. He also stays active in teaching, as a clinician in both choraland organ events, and has conducted two recordings with St Paul’s Choristers.
John HowardDr. John Howard is a native of San Diego and earned his BA in Music from Christian Heritage College (now San Diego Christian College) in 2002, where he studied piano and beganorgan studies with Connie Gale. He continued organ study with Dr. Christopher Cook forseveral years with scholarship funding from the American Guild of Organists, earning a Service Playing Certificate from the AGO in 2006. He has participated in several organ masterclasses with such organists as James Drake, Diane Bish, Ken Cowan, Joyce Jones, and JohnFerguson. In 2005, he earned his MA in Musicology from San Diego State University, wherehe was a Graduate Assistant to the choral program under Dr. Frank Almond and Dr. RichardChagnon. He has recently completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conductingand Pedagogy at the University of Southern Mississippi.Dr. Howard serves currently as Director of Music Ministries and Organist at Ascension Lutheran Church and Christ United Methodist Church, and is conductor of the HeimatklangChoir, a German community choir based in Balboa Parks’ House of Germany, while stillmaintaining a private studio of students in voice, piano, and organ. He has served as Director of Music at the historic First Baptist Church of San Diego, and at Richton United Methodist Church in Richton, MS, and has taught music at Lutheran High School of San Diegoand Horizon Jr. and Sr. High School as well as San Diego Christian College. In 2007-08, hedirected the Germania Choir of the German American Societies of San Diego.Dr. Howard is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guildof Organists, and has served as treasurer for the San Diego chapter of the National Association of Church Musicians. He works with tireless passion and energy to promote excellencein classical church music for the glory of God and the enrichment of contemporary culture.
Angela Kraft-CrossThis San Francisco Bay Area organist, pianist and composer, graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music in 1980 with bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Organ Performance. She then earned her Doctor of Medicine degree at Loma Linda University, whereshe subsequently completed her residency in ophthalmology. In 1993, she completed herMaster of Music degree in Piano Performance at the College of Notre Dame with ThomasLaRatta, with whom she continues to study. Here she seated at the console in Notre DameCathedral.In addition to her musical career, Dr. KraftCross retired in 2011 having worked for 22 yearsas an ophthalmic surgeon at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Redwood City.She is committed to the musical education of young people, and since 1997 has been instrumental in organizing an annual Organ Camp for young pianists headquartered at herchurch. Dr. Kraft Cross also served as faculty for the 2005 Pipe Organ Encounter in SanFrancisco and will be faculty in this summer’s San Diego POE. She is the Regional Coordinator for Education for Region IX AGO and a new member of the board for the Junior BachFestival in Berkeley. She is also a member of the Concert Artist Cooperative. Come visit herwebsite at: www.angelakraftcross.com
Marilou KratzensteinDr. Marilou Kratzenstein is professor emeritus of the University of Northern Iowa, whereshe taught organ and music history for many years. She is the author of several books &articles relating to the organ. Her book, Four Centuries of Organ Music: an Annotated Discography, co-authored with Jerome Hamilton can be found at Amazon.com.She has played numerous recital tours that have taken her from remote Mexican villages toSwedish cities north of the Arctic Circle (with lots of fun places in between). While at theUniversity of Northern Iowa she directed both a community extension program for churchorganists and a biennial Church Music Conference.She moved to San Diego in 2003. She was Dean of the San Diego chapter of the AGO from2007-2009, and has taught at two previous P.O.E’s. Dr. Kratzenstein currently serves asOrganist at San Carlos United Methodist Church and Associate Organist at First UnitedMethodist Church of San Diego.Alison LuedeckeAlison J. Luedecke, organist, is very active across the UnitedStates as a solo concert organist and has played in Canada andGermany. As an ensemble. She is organist and co-founder of Millennia Consort, California's premiere organ plus ensemble (abrass quintet, percussion and organ group), and its small ensemble Millennia Too!, withoboe/English horn and trumpet. She is also harpsichordist with the San Diego Baroque Ensemble and the Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra and frequently plays with other chamber ensembles.As a recording artist she has been heard numerous times on "Pipedreams", the nationallysyndicated MPR (Media Public Radio) show. Alison is featured on five organ recordings,three of which as a former member of the Liturgical Organists Consortium. The Consortiumrecordings are published by World Library Publications (WLP).Alison is editor of the series, Consoliere Classics, a multi-volume organ music publication,published by Wayne Leopold Publications. She has also worked for the Church at cathedral,diocesan and parish levels. She completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance at the Eastman School of Music as a student of David Craighead.
Ron E. McKeanRecognized as an excellent teacher and performerin improvisation, he has competed nationally and internationally; winning first prize at the San AnselmoFestival and second prizes at the Haarlem Festival inHolland and the Boston American Guild of Organistsconvention in the United States.He has tutored under Laurette Goldberg and GustavLeonhardt (harpsichord), Harold Vogel, KennethMansfield, Anthony Newman (composition and organ) and with Leonard Bernstein and Robert Bassert(composition).He received a Master of Music Degree and Performer’s Certificate in Early Music at Indiana University under Thomas Binkley. He is Director of Music at St. Joseph Catholic church and Mission San Jose in Fremont, Californiawhere he oversees the Rosales Opus14 Spanish/Mexican organ in the 17th century style.Malou RogersAlong with several of our teachers, Malou is a native San Diegan and grew up being inspired by the great Spreckels Organ in her youth. She completed her Bachelor of Music inOrgan Performance at San Diego State University in 1982. The following year, under thetutelage of her mentor Dr. Leslie P. Spelman, she completed the examinations for Colleague of the American Guild of Organists (C.A.G.O.).Having grown up singing gospel and playing jazz and theatre organ, Malou spent severalyears performing in the Southern California region which led to gigs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, South America and ultimately in Tokyo, Japan.At this point she began integrating the many facets of her musical education. Upon returning to San Diego after six stints in Tokyo, Malou resumed her career as a church organist/choir director and wrote a Jazz Compline for All Souls’ Episcopal Church, singing with pianist, Mike Wofford and sax man Charles McPherson.The past 20 years Ms. Rogers has been a certificated music teacher for San Diego UnifiedSchool District, directing choirs, and teaching general music to K-12 students. Her studentsare regularly seen in the CMEA honor choirs and participate in recorder festivals, concerts,and Music Memory with Orchestra Nova. She completed her Master of Science degree inEducational Technology (as it applies to organ and the music classroom) in 2008, and in2009 she was awarded Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year by SDUSD.After forty years as a liturgical organist, Malou has just returned to St. Alban’s EpiscopalChurch as Director of Music. St. Alban’s was her first Choir Director/Organist position atage 17. Their patience, mentoring and support helped her to become the musician she istoday.
Bob ScholzBob Scholz renewed his interest in music in middle school when his family acquired a smallpipe organ after taking a hiatus from piano lessons for a couple years. Before long, he wasplaying the organ at church and soon headed to Concordia University, Irvine, where hestudied organ with Michael Burkhardt and Esther Jones, graduating with a BA in organ anda Director of Christian Education certificate. He continued study several years later withEsther Jones at Cal State Fullerton earning his Master of Music degree in organ performance. Bob has served Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church of Lake Arrowhead since 1995 as Director of Music and Christian Education. Bob currently serves the AGO as District Convenerfor the South Coast district. This is Bob's third POE, returning to San Diego for a secondtime. When not playing the organ, Bob enjoys kayaking, hiking, and cross-country skiing,sports he never would have enjoyed had he not lived in the mountains of Southern California.Lea Schmidt-RogersLea Schmidt-Rogers is an organist and pianist who has dappled at arranging, composing,writing, recording, performing, and teaching. She is grateful to her piano and organ teachers, as well as a few collaborators for building a rich musical life: Kenneth Drake, GyorgySebok, Marion Hall, Marian Kerr, George Butterfield, Janos Starker, Anna Lee Hamilton, Anthony Elliott, and Patricia Childs, only to name a few.Jeanine WalterJeanine Walter
Leslie Wolf RobbLeslie Wolf Robb received her B.A. in music from San Diego State University where she studied organ with John Kuzma and Kenneth Fall. Shehas done extensive graduate work in keyboard pedagogy there as well,studying piano with Dr. J. Mitzi Kolar. She earned her C.A.G.O. in 1978and was awarded a D.H. Baldwin Fellowship in 1986.Leslie has worked in church music since 1976, and has served as Director of Music Ministriesat St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in San Diego since 1985. In addition to her churchmusic position, she teaches piano and organ to both children and adults.Leslie has served on the board of San Diego AGO in many capacities and currently chairs theSan Diego AGO Education Committee. She has been involved in the planning and production of each of San Diego AGO’s five Pipe Organ Encounters.At the national level, Leslie has just begun her second term as Councilor for Region IX(California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, Korea, Singapore, Sydney, Taiwan), a positionshe has held since 2010.She has presented workshops on teaching young organists and San Diego AGO’s scholarship program at the local, regional, and national levels. Her materials for organ instructionare published by Wayne Leupold Editions.Pipe Organ Encounters is an educational outreach program of the American Guild of Organists. Major fundingfor Pipe Organ Encounters is provided by the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America. Additional supportis provided by the American Institute of Organ Builders. Permanently endowed AGO scholarships are provided in memory of Charlene Brice Alexander, Robert S. Baker, Seth Bingham, Clarence Dickinson, PhilipHahn, Charles N. Henderson, Alfred E. Lunsford, Ruth Milliken, Ned Siebert and Martin M. Wick; and in honorof Anthony Baglivi, Philip E. Baker, Morgan and Mary Simmons and the Leupold Foundation.
terian Church. He received his Doctorate in Worship Studies at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Cook is a well-known organ teacher in the Southern California region and his students regularly participate in the Spreckels Organ Society and American Guild of Organists stu-dent recitals and awards.
