When I was in eighth grade, I had the great fortune of taking piano lessons from Mr. Paul Wheeler, the organist at the United Methodist church in Linesville, Pennsylvania. One week, he asked me if I would be interested in taking organ lessons. The 1906 Hillgreen,...
Gregory Jorjorian Evanston, IL Greg Jorjorian is currently President of OPUS 327 nfp, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the historic E.M. Skinner’s OPUS 327 pipe organ and its perfectly matched acoustical space, the nave...
No stranger to the North Shore AGO, Paul has belonged to the chapter since the late 60s. You will enjoy learning more about him through his short bio. For my college training I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Eastman School of Music where I studied with...
My life as a musician began as a journey of self-discovery. You see, I come from a family in which only my great aunt, Ruth, was a hobbyist organist. She and her husband lived down in Pekin, IL during the summer months, which meant that our visits to her home were...
What led me to the organ? Well, I studied piano and dance intensively in Philadelphia while I was growing up. And one day I just put my hands and feet together on the organ. The first two organs I played around on were a reed organ in a Granny's very old...
Hello, this is Hailey Jiyoun Jun. I was always interested in organ because I learned and played organ in Korea. However, as I come to the United States, the bond between me and organ seemed to end. Thankfully, though, I was able to continue learning the organ through...
Dr. Charles Sundquist Dr. Charles Sundquist is a native of Duluth, MN. Currently, he is Artistic Director for “Anima – Glenn Ellyn Children’s Chorus”. He has served as Choral Director at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, Mountain Lakes and Princeton High Schools...
Are YOU someone we should know? This column serves to acquaint us with each other better. Sometimes, however, it’s difficult to solicit people who have the time & interest to share their story briefly and include a photo. Personally, I’ve looked forward to every...
Mark Lee holds a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Benedictine University, Lisle, where he studied organ with Rev. John Palmer, and a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the American Conservatory, Chicago, where he studied piano with...
George L. Karst's musical training includes music theory, composition, pipe organ, and conducting. He is the organist-choirmaster of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Dixon, IL. In the past, he has served churches in Indianapolis and Northwest Indiana. George teaches...
Pat Radosavlijevic I have been playing the organ for church every Sunday since 5th grade, a little over fifty years. Having church closed on March 15 was extremely eerie! We didn’t have enough time to prepare a service for the 15th so our Pastor decided to record the...
How did I come to the Organ? Nearly 60 years ago I sat in McFarland Lutheran Church at five years old and stared directly forward at a man named Kary Hyre playing an instrument with asymmetric pipes and every week I puzzled over the asymmetry. A few years later in...
Last spring I was approached by organist, colleague, and friend Sharon Peterson to see if my son, Solomon, might be interested in North Shore Chapter AGO’s Organ Scholar Initiative program providing three free organ lessons and a year-long AGO membership. I wasn’t...
Helen Jang Raymaker Helen Raymaker is a pianist with a passion for children in music. She has accompanied musicians of Harmonium Choral Society, Drew University, Light Opera of New Jersey, and various schools and faith communities. She loves playing live classical...
Padraig McGuire is Cantor at Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park. An ordained pastor in the ELCA, he has credentials shared with the Philippine Independent Church (Anglican) and serves a Priest Associate to the Congregation of the Good Shepherd in Lincolnwood, IL....
This month we are happy to more fully introduce to you our new District Convener for the North Shore AGO chapter. We will be hearing from Matthew from time to time, but this will give you a bit of an introduction to his life. "Matthew Doran is a graduate of Northern...
Like so many of us, I first heard the organ in church and was captivated with the sound. When I was a high school sophomore, my music teacher got me studying organ at Sherwood Music School (later Sherwood Conservatory) with Dr. Herbert White. He introduced me to the...
Davis Redman I learned about the Organ Scholarship Initiative from a Northshore AGO member and was very interested in applying for the program, but a little hesitant thinking that I was outside of the ideal age range, even though there wasn’t a specific range...
Introducing Marianne Kim A Chicago-based composer, organist, pianist, and harpsichordist, Marianne Kim has been noted for her vibrant performances and compositions in a wide diversity of musical styles, such as classical, jazz, Broadway musical, R&B, gospel,...