Tom Trenney Friday night hymn festival
Saturday workshops:
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Composer, conductor, organist, preacher, and teacher Tom Trenney has been blessed to serve as minister of Music to First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska since 2009. In 2019, he became Director of Choirs at Nebraska Wesleyan University where he now holds the Susan Sehnert Stuart Endowed Professorship for Choral Music. Tom's choirs have been honored to perform for state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and they have been award winners in the American Prize for choral ensembles. In 2024, Tom was named Music Educator of the Year by the Nebraska Music Education Association.
Tom has been a featured performer at churches, colleges, and concert halls across the country including Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, Seattle's Benaroya Hall, Kansas City's Kauffman Center, DC's Kennedy Center, and NYC's Carnegie Hall. His choral compositions are published by Augsburg Fortress, Beckenhorst Press, Choristers Guild, E.C. Schirmer/Galaxy, Gentry, Morningstar, Musicspoke, Pavane, and G. Schirmer. His piece "From Generation to Generation" won the Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition from the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians in 2023. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music, Tom is grateful for the inspiration of his teachers and mentors--especially Auton Armstrong, David Davidson, Craig Hella Johnson, (Mister) Fred Rogers, William Weinert, Anne Wilson, and Todd Wilson. |
Tom LewtakWorkshop: Getting an Organ Building Project Off the Ground
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Tom Lewtak, educated as an organist with two master's degrees in Organ Performance, found his inspiration to become an organ builder at the age of 16 when he witnessed the construction process of the monumental organ at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Gdansk (Danzig), Poland, by the esteemed German firm of Hillebrand. His journey into organ building continued during his five years at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland, where he delved into the intricacies of organ building and design.
Subsequent years led him to Denmark and Norway, where he apprenticed with Carsten Lund Organ Builders of Copenhagen. A pivotal phase of his education involved acquiring voicing skills from Mogens Pedersen, the chief voicer of the legendary Frobenius Organ Builders for over twenty years. Tom's organ building expertise is not merely theoretical but stems from hands-on experience with some of the finest organ builders in Europe. In his role, Tom assumes responsibility for tonal design, pipe scaling, voicing, windchest, and action design. His artistic vision is manifested through the sound of the organs crafted under his guidance, showcasing a unique blend of expertise and firsthand experience gleaned from working with the best in the field. |
Dr. Timothy OlsenWorkshop: Getting an Organ Building Project off the Ground
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A performer, teacher, and Lutheran Cantor, Timothy Olsen intertwines his passion for musical excellence throughout these three areas.
In his solo organ recital performances for churches, AGO chapters, and universities throughout the United States, Dr. Olsen enjoys exploring the many colors and sounds of each unique pipe organ on which he performs. Matching repertoire to instrument while creating and performing eclectic programs that excite, inspire, and uplift audiences, his recitals draw on works both familiar and new. Recent performances have taken him to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (TX), St. Thomas Church (NY), Cathedral of St. Philip (Atlanta, GA), Methuen Memorial Music Hall, Duke University, and Cornell University. He has performed across the United States and in Ireland, and his recordings on the NAXOS and Raven labels have been heard on American Public Media’s Pipedreams, WXXI’s With Heart and Voice, and WCPE’s Great Sacred Music. As organ professor at UNCSA & Salem College, Dr. Olsen enjoys working with a wide range of students—from those just beginning their organ study to graduate students. Meeting the students where they are in their musical journey, he guides them in developing their technique and artistry to attain their goals as performers whether that be in the concert hall, the sanctuary, or elsewhere. Dr. Olsen’s students have won numerous regional competitions, and have gained entrance into some of the most prestigious organ programs in the country. Currently serving as Cantor (Organist/Music Director) at Augsburg Lutheran Church in Winston-Salem, NC, Dr. Olsen lives out his Lutheran heritage through sacred music. In his role as Cantor, he directs two adult choirs, plays for two weekly services, and arranges guest concerts for the congregation and community. They eagerly await the installation of Noack Organ Co. Op. 171 at Augsburg in the summer of 2026. Dr. Olsen resides in Pfafftown, NC with his wife, Daniele, three sons, and their six-pound Chihuahua, Milo Bjørn. |
Wayne LeupoldWorkshop: A Music Publisher's Perspective
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Bio coming soon!
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Dr. John CumminsWorkshop: Registration at the "Wrong" Organ
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Bio coming soon!
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Robert OvermanWorkshop: Working with Aging Voices
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Bio coming soon!
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