North Shore Chapter AGO 2023 Election
Vote for Three Board Members to serve term 2023-2026
Mary Beth Molenaar – Board Member
Mary Beth Molenaar started accompanying the choir regularly and playing the organ at Winnetka Covenant Church last fall after partially retiring from her administrative position at Northwestern University. While completing her doctoral degree in piano at NU she studied organ with Wolfgang Rubsam. She also studied organ and harpsichord as an undergraduate at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Mary Beth has played for services in many different denominations and shared her music in recitals over the years. She looks forward to the upcoming conference and participating in chapter events this year!
Marianne Kim – Board Member
Marianne Kim, a composer, pianist, organist, and harpsichordist based in Chicago, is known for her dynamic performances and compositions in various musical genres, including classical, jazz, Broadway, R&B, gospel, and traditional and contemporary church music.
Marianne is an accomplished soloist and collaborative artist who enjoys performing piano and organ recitals, chamber music, and jazz. She has been associated with the Ravinia Festival since 2008 and has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In her previous roles, Marianne worked as a classical pianist and rhythm section keyboardist for the Lakeside Singers under the direction of Robert Bowker (2005-2022), served as a keyboardist at Willow Creek Community Church and the Moody Church (2001-2018), and is presently the principal organist for Christ Church of Oak Brook.
Marianne is passionate about sharing her skills and knowledge and has conducted workshops and seminars at Northern Illinois University, Trinity Int’l University, AGOs, and publisher conferences. She also taught jazz piano classes at Northern Illinois University (2014-2015) and is a faculty member of North Park University teaching Gospel/Contemporary Piano and also a collaborative pianist.
With over 400 published titles to her name through Lorenz Publishing Company, Hope Publishing, Augsburg Fortress, Shawnee Press/Hal Leonard Corp, Yesol Press, and Concordia Publishing, Marianne has received critical acclaim for her compositions.
Marianne was born and raised in Korea and studied piano and composition at Busan High School of Arts before earning her BM in composition at Pusan National University. She returned to school after working professionally in the United States for over a decade and earned dual Masters of Music in jazz studies and organ performance from NIU School of Music with scholarships and prizes.
Marianne is a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) and AGO (American Guild of Organists).
Gary Wendt – Board Member
Gary Wendt is the Director of Music & Organist at Glenview Community Church. He directs the Joyful Ringers Handbell Choir and the Pilgrim Wind Ensemble at GCC. He continues to develop, administrate and program the church’s Simple Gifts Concert Series, which each year offers over a dozen performances by regional and nationally known artists and ensembles. A native of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Gary studied organ with Dr. Shirley Sands, Gregory Vancil, Jerome Butera, and Margaret McElwain Kemper. When he is not at the organ bench, you can find him teaching music at Hubbard Woods Elementary School in Winnetka and running a small business in Michigan.
Matthew Doran – Board Member
“Matthew Doran is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, with degrees in music education and organ performance. He began his organ study with Dr. David Christiansen and studied with Professor James Russell Brown at NIU. He performed with many of the university’s ensembles and appeared as organ soloist in Samuel Barber’s “Toccata Festiva” with the NIU Philharmonic in 2016 as a concerto competition winner. In addition to his organ studies, Matthew studied jazz piano with Willie Pickens and was a member of the NIU Jazz Lab Band.
In October 2014, Matthew performed in two concerts of the WFMT Bach Organ Project. In addition to organ recitals, he has performed on organ and piano in several professional ensemble settings. These include performances with Cor Cantiamo at St. James Cathedral in Chicago and with the Fox Valley Orchestra and Chorus.
Currently, Matthew is the Music Director of St. Peter Lutheran Church and School in Arlington Heights. In the school, he teaches general music classes, bands, and musical theater. He has also served as the American Guild of Organists Illinois District Convener for the past four years.”