1/13/2012
MUSIC FOR A GREAT SPACE PRESENTS:
JACK MITCHENER, ORGAN
Friday, January 13, 2012
7:30 PM
Christ United Methodist Church
7:30 PM
Christ United Methodist Church
Jack Mitchener has concertized widely and received critical acclaim for his "expressive and original playing" and his "poetic style" (The American Organist). He has performed in notable venues such as St. Sulpice and the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, St. Thomas Church, New York City, the Augustinerkirche in Vienna, and the St. Jacobikirche in Lübeck. His recitals during the 2011-12 season include performances from coast to coast in the USA and a tour of China and Japan in June. He has also collaborated with renowned musicians such as Nick Eanet, Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, members of the Mendelssohn String Quartet, lutenist Paul O'Dette, baroque flutists Sandra Miller and Rebecca Troxler, and composer John Corigliano. A laureate in several competitions, his performances have been heard in concert and in broadcasts throughout the USA, Europe, and Asia. His work as a collaborative artist can be heard on five compact discs, and his solo recordings are available on the Raven label. His CD Dulcet Tones: Jack Mitchener Plays the Salem Tannenberg was described as, "Superb...an impressive and rather moving listening experience" (International Record Review, London).
Jack Mitchener's repertoire includes the complete organ works of J. S. Bach, many major compositions of the 19th century, and premières of works by Emma Lou Diemer, Dan Locklair, Margaret Vardell Sandresky, and Robert Ward, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. A former student of Marie-Claire Alain, Guy Bovet, David Craighead, David Higgs, Susan Landale, John Mueller, Robert Murphy, and Russell Saunders, he also studied improvisation with Gerre Hancock. Mitchener holds three degrees and the prestigious Performer's Certificate in both organ and harpsichord from The Eastman School of Music. During his two years studying in Paris, he won the Médaille d'or (Gold Medal), Prix d'Excellence, and Prix de Virtuosité at the Conservatoire National de Rueil-Malmaison, France.
In addition to teaching and performing, Jack Mitchener has had a long career in the field of church music, serving several congregations including the American Cathedral in Paris, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in High Point, NC and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC. For the American Guild of Organists, he has been a chapter dean and a member of the National Committee on Professional Education. Jack Mitchener is currently on the faculty at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. He is a former faculty member at the Eastman School of Music (Community Education Division), the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Salem College.
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