Karen McFarlane has announced her retirement from twenty-four years of active concert management, effective January 1 of this coming year. Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc., which in 2001 will mark its 80th anniversary, was originally founded by Bernard R. LaBerge. In 1962, his long-time secretary, Lilian Murtagh, took over the agency, which was transferred to Ms. McFarlane shortly before Mrs. Murtagh's death in 1976.
Under Karen McFarlane's tenure, the management has continued to represent many of the world's finest concert organists, and in addition has ventured into two new areas. In 1982, Ms. McFarlane became the first concert manager for organists to officially promote the winner of a major national competition, and since that time has volunteered her assistance to 10 NYACOP winners, working with each for a two-year period. She agreed in 1990 to represent the gold medal winners of the Calgary International Organ Festival, and, although she has been invited to represent winners of other major international organ competitions, she has chosen to work with competitions which are based in North America. In 1985 her management began to import select collegiate and cathedral choirs of men and boys from England to North America, starting a trend of tours by English choirs that has continued. During the past fifteen years she has toured the choirs of St. Thomas Church, New York City; Canterbury Cathedral; Salisbury Cathedral; Winchester Cathedral; King's College and St. John's College, Cambridge; Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral, London; and The Cambridge Singers (John Rutter, director).
Karen McFarlane holds a bachelor's degree from Lindenwood College, St. Charles, Missouri, where she studied organ with Franklin Perkins. She also attended Washington University and Union Theological Seminary, and studied with Claire Coci. In 1966 she moved to New York City to assist Frederick Swann at The Riverside Church. She has also served as Director of Music/Organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in San Marcos, Texas, and as Director of Music/Organist at Park Avenue Christian Church, New York City. She took over the Lilian Murtagh Concert Management in 1976, has served as Associate Choirmaster at The Church of the Covenant, Cleveland, since 1988, and has been married to Walter Holtkamp, Jr. since 1982. Karen McFarlane is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Entertainment, the International Who's Who in Music, and The World Who's Who of Women. She received the Avis H. Blewett Award from the St. Louis AGO, and was one of two recipients of the national AGO's first Edward A. Hansen Leadership Award in 2000.
The new president of Karen McFarlane Artists will be John McElliott, who is currently Booking Director for the management. Mr. McElliott grew up in Akron, Ohio, where he was introduced to church music as a boy chorister in the Men and Boys Choir at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, under the direction of Robert Quade. He then went on to study organ and voice at The University of Akron, and later was a choral scholar with the Choir of Winchester Cathedral in England. He has had a great deal of performance experience as a singer with early music groups such as Apollo's Fire, and has a solid knowledge of organ repertoire as well. He is married to organist Yuri Sato.
On September 8 of this year, in recognition of her forthcoming retirement, Karen McFarlane was honored by her entire roster of artists at a musical event held at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. The event, which was secretly planned for more than a year, was a program of "Musical Gifts," in which each artist on the roster either composed or commissioned a piece for organ, solo voice, or choir. A total of 30 new works were composed, of which 26 were performed that evening.
Organ:
George Baker: Chorale-prelude, If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee
Guy Bovet: Tango de setimo tono (a modo de Habanera)
Petr Eben: Preludium I (commissioned by Susan Landale)
Ann Gebur: Meditation on "Schmücke dich" (commissioned by Clyde Holloway)
William Harvey: Vocalissimus (commissioned by Christopher Young)
Martin Haselböck: Birthday Card with Signature
Marilyn Keiser: Variations on "Good Christian Friends, Rejoice"
Olivier Latry: Arabesque on the Name of Karen McFarlane
William McVicker: Six Variations über una tema de Vincent Youmans (commissioned by David Goode, James O'Donnell, Jane Parker-Smith, Simon Preston, Ann Elise Smoot and Gillian Weir)
Craig Phillips: Tribute—A Lullaby for Organ (commissioned by David Craighead)
Daniel Pinkham: The Salutation of Gabriel (French horn/organ)(commissioned by Joan Lippincott)
Myron Roberts: Fantasy for Organ (shared dedication with Robert Baker)
Daniel Roth: from Livre d'orgue pour le Magnificat
Robert Sirota: Fanfare for Many Members (commissioned by Donald and Phyllis Sutherland)
Frederick Swann: Meditation on "Repton"
Thomas Trotter, arr. from Vivaldi: Alla Rustica
Hymns:
Gerre Hancock: A Hymn for Karen (hymn-tune: Karen)
Todd Wilson: He Comes to Us as One Unknown (hymn-tune: Cedar Hill)
Solo Voice:
Diane Meredith Belcher: Lutebook Lullaby
Stephen Kennedy: St. Theresa's Bookmark (commissioned by David Higgs)
Thomas Murray: Earth with Her Ten-Thousand Flowers
Anne Wilson: May There Always
Choir:
Marie-Claire Alain: Two Early French Noëls for Choir
Stephen Cleobury: Founder's Prayer
David Hill: Sing Lullaby
Alan Morrison: The Lord Bless You and Keep You
Peter Planyavsky: Choral arrangement of Lasst uns erfreuen
Stephen Tharp: O Sacred Feast
In addition, a humorous group sing-along piece entitled "A Ditty for Karen," by Peter Hurford, was performed. John Weaver, who has over the years become the management's "Poet Laureate," read a Special Recitation. Performances of the above new works were by many of the roster organists, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, soprano; John McElliott and David Hoffman, baritone; Larry Williams, French horn; and a choir composed of Peabody voice students. The welcome was given by Robert Sirota, Director of the Peabody Conservatory. A benediction by Victoria Sirota closed the evening. It was the largest number of new works premiered at any event in memory, many of which are being published.
As of January 1, Karen McFarlane Artists will have a new address: 2385 Fenwood Road, Cleveland OH 44118. Toll-free telephone: 866/721-9095; Fax: 216/397-7716; E-mail: [email protected]. The web-site for the management is www.concertorganists.com. Karen McFarlane ([email protected]) will continue, on a part-time basis, to expand performance opportunities for the management's competition winners and young organists, as well as handle the planning for the yearly choir tours. David Hoffman, who has been with the management for many years, will continue as Office Manager.
