Sunday, October 19, 2008 -- 7:30 p.m. Christopher Marks Jeffrey Blersch Masako Bacon Saint Paul United Methodist Church 1144 M Street Lincoln, Nebraska

Sunday, January 11, 2009 -- 3:00 p.m. David Heller, Organist Trinity University San Antonio, Texas Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 6001 A Street Lincoln, Nebraska Organ Specs

David Heller has been a member of the faculty of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas since 1986 as Professor of Music and University Organist. His primary teaching responsibilities in the Department of Music are in Music Theory, Organ (Private Instruction, Organ Literature, Organ Pedagogy), and Harpsichord. A native of Wisconsin, Dr. Heller received the Bachelor of Music degree with honors from Lawrence University as an organ student of Miriam Clapp Duncan. He completed his graduated studies at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, New York earning the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in organ performance and literature. In addition, he was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate in Organ. At Eastman, his teachers included Russell Saunders in Organ and Colin Tilney and Lisa Goode Crawford in harpsichord. He has continued post-doctoral study in organ with David Craighead, and improvisation with Gerre Hancock.

An active recitalist, Dr. Heller has performed extensively throughout the United States and has performed internationally in Canada, France, Germany, Guatemala, and Mexico. He has appeared as both performer and presenter at national conferences of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, the Organ Historical Society, the American Institute of Organ Builders, and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists. He has a number of publications to his credit, including the acclaimed Manual on Hymn Playing (G.I.A. Publications), and his numerous reviews of organ literature for Cross Accent (Journal of ALCM). He is collaborating with John Ballard on a book documenting the history of the pipe organ in San Antonio.

Dr. Heller has two recordings in distribution on the Calcante label: Veni Creator Spiritus (1996), recorded on the Rosales organ at University United Methodist Church in San Antonio and The Art of Gregorian Paraphrase (2000), recorded on the Casavant organ of the Church of St. Louis, King of France in St. Paul, MN. His two most recent recordings are on the Pro Organo label: Blasts From the Century Past (2005), recorded on the Rosales organ of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, OR; and ¡Bravo Grande! (2007), recorded on the Charles Kegg organ at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, TX. In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Heller serves as Artist-in-Residence for NorthPark Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX, and as Visiting Artist-in-Residence at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, OR.

Organist David Heller has risen to prominence as an outstanding organist and pedagogue in the United States. The American Organist has described him as “an eloquent performer,” and his recording, Veni Creator Spiritus (Calcante Recordings) was hailed as an “excellent demonstration of outstanding music making on a contemporary American organ.”

An active recitalist, Dr. Heller has performed extensively throughout the United States and internationally in Canada, France, Germany, Guatemala, and Mexico. As author of the acclaimed book, Manual on Hymn Playing (G.I.A. Publications), he is frequently sought as a lecturer and clinician in the areas of church music skills and hymn playing, giving presentations across the country for colleges, chapters of the American Guild of Organists, The Hymn Society, and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

Sunday, March 15, 2009 -- 3:00 p.m. Samuel Gaskin, Organist St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Beaumont, Texas First Presbyterian Church 840 S. 17th Street Lincoln, Nebraska Organ Specs

Samuel Gaskin is organist for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, his hometown church in Beaumont, Texas. Samuel was a prize winner for the 2007 André Marchal International Organ Competition in Biarritz, France; the 2008 Miami International Organ Competition, and the 2008 Carlene Neihart International Organ Competition in Kansas City.

At age ten he was the youngest student awarded the endowed A.W. Yeats Memorial Organ Scholarship for pipe organ study by First United Methodist Church of Beaumont where he began his pipe organ studies with Hugh E. Thompson, Sr at age nine. In 2007, Samuel was awarded first prize at the French Organ Music Seminar/Langlais Competition in New York City. In 2006, at age fourteen, Samuel became the youngest to be awarded first prize in the high school division of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

Samuel Gaskin has performed recitals in cities across the country including as a special guest artist at the 2007 AGO Region V I Convention in Lincoln, Nebraska and at the 2007 Music at Midday Concert Series at National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C.

In the summers of 2005 and 2007, Samuel traveled under scholarship to Europe (London, Paris, Germany) to play some of the world’s finest organs and to meet many of Europe’s most noted concert organists. It was during this time he studied with Mme Marie-Louise Langlais. On his first trip to Paris in 2005, he performed in recital at St. Roch and was awarded the privilege of playing the organs at the Cathedral of Notre Dame and St. Sulpice.

Samuel studies organ with Christina Harmon of Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, and piano with Dr. Andrew Parr of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches.

Sunday, June 7, 2009 -- 3:00 p.m. Mary Murrell and Quentin Faulkner, Organists Amherst, Massachusetts St. Mark's on the Campus Episcopal Church 13th & R Streets Lincoln, Nebraska Organ Specs

Quentin Faulkner is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he taught organ and courses in church music. Prof. Faulkner has played many organ recitals in the U.S. as well as Europe, and has published several books, including J.S. Bach’s Keyboard Technique: A Historical Introduction and Wiser than Despair: The Evolution of Ideas in the Relationship of Music and the Christian Church. In 1998 he received a Fulbright Grant to teach at the Ev. Hochschule für Kirchenmusik (Protestant College of Church Music), Halle, Germany.

Mary Murrell Faulkner completed the degree Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Nebraska in 2000; she wrote her dissertation on the “Sun Organ” at Görlitz, Germany. Her organ teacher was the renowned Bach interpreter Prof. George Ritchie. She and her husband have collaborated in the production of a CD Duetto: Early Music for Keyboard - Four Hands.

During the academic year 2006-7, both Mary Murrell and Quentin Faulkner served as Visiting Professors at the Ev. Hochschule für Kirchenmusik, Halle, Germany.