ORGAN AT DAVIDSON

Davidson’s Clara Gerdes, home from graduate studies at Yale School of Sacred Music, shares her amazing organ performance talent with the November 11 Organ at Davidson series starting at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary of Davidson College Presbyterian Church.

After five years’ organ tutelage with Alan Morrison and harpsichord with Leon Schelhase at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, the enthusiastic chamber musician and collaborator began graduate studies at Yale. While at Curtis she served as organ scholar at Philadelphia’s Saint Mark’s Church, previously organ scholar at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, and St. Anthony of Padua parish in Mt. Holly, North Carolina.

Among venues of Clara Gerdes’ extensive performances throughout the United.States have been the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, St. Thomas Church (5th Ave), St Paul’s Church of St Paul the Apostle, all in New York City, the Cathedral Basilica of Sacred Heart in Newark, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Washington National Cathedral, as well as at both Harvard and Princeton universities.

Her recitals have included prior performances with the Organ at Davidson series-Jane Cain and Jacqueline Yost having been Clara’s earlier organ instructors-as well as performances at National Conventions of the American Guild of Organists in 2017 and 2018, in addition to Spoleto Festival USA, Oregon Bach Festival, Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, and Sitka, Alaska’s Uncommon Music Festival.

Choral Arts Philadelphia, the Tenth Chamber Orchestra, Galim Dance, and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Opera Orchestra and 20/21 ensemble, as well as numerous chamber groups, have enjoyed accompaniments on piano, harpsichord, and organ from Clara Gerdes’ wide-ranging talent. She enjoys both composing and transcribing in her free time.

All Organ at Davidson events begin at 7:30 p.m. at DCPC on Main Street in Davidson and are open to the public. A meet the artist reception by Friends of the Organ follows the program. Performances are free with donations appreciated to enhance the series. For the rest of the organ series of 2019-2020 check our website.