Karen McFarlane Artists announces the addition of two artists to its roster of concert organists.
Distinguished choral conductor and concert organist Martin Baker is Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral in London, England, where he directs the Cathedral’s world-famous choir of men and boys. Under his direction the choir has maintained its high profile both in the Roman Catholic Church and in the musical world in general and remains the only Catholic Cathedral choir in the world to sing daily Mass and Vespers. The choir also records regularly on the Hyperion label, and frequently tours; recent trips have included the United States, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Norway and Italy. A virtuoso concert organist particularly gifted in the art of improvisation, Martin Baker won the First Prize in Improvisation at the St. Albans International Organ Competition (1997), and has performed solo recitals in venues around the world. Recent feature events include a BBC Radio 3 live broadcast of a solo organ recital from Westminster Cathedral, and a solo organ recital as part of the festival re-opening season at the Royal Festival Hall in London on the newly restored organ there. Prior to his post at Westminster Cathedral, Baker held positions at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
German-born concert organist Jens Korndörfer has spent the last eleven years in France, Japan, the United States, and Canada. His multinational experience has enabled him to become intimately familiar with a wide range of cultures, instruments, and musical styles, allowing him to be equally at home in a wide variety of repertoire. A triple prize winner at the Canadian International Organ Competition (2008 and 2012), Dr. Korndörfer holds diplomas from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, France (Diploma in Organ-Interpretation, class of Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard), Oberlin Conservatory (Artist Diploma, James David Christie), Musikhochschule in Bayreuth (Church Music Diploma, Hartmut Leuschner-Rostoski, organ; Michael Wessel, piano; Torsten Laux, conducting) and McGill University in Montreal (Doctor of Music, Hans-Ola Ericsson, John Grew, and William Porter). He has performed at venues in England, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, and the United States, has released two compact disc recordings, and authored “Franz Liszt and Johann Gottlob Töpfer: A Fruitful Relationship in Weimar,” The Diapason, August 2013. Jens Korndörfer currently serves as organist at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
For booking information on these artists, contact Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc., www.concertorganists.com.
