KEN COWAN

Biography

Ken Cowan is one of the most sought-after organists in North America. He has performed solo recitals across the United States and Canada, and has won numerous awards, including first prizes at the Royal Canadian College of Organists National Competition and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music National Competition. Currently Mr. Cowan serves as Assistant Professor of Organ at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, where he is the only full-time organ teacher and maintains a full studio of organ students.

A native of Thorold, Ontario, Canada, Mr. Cowan received the Master’s degree and Artist Diploma from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, studying organ with Thomas Murray. Prior to attending Yale, he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied with John Weaver. As a boy, Mr. Cowan received his first organ lessons from his father, organist David Cowan, then during his high school years he studied with James Bigham in Buffalo, NY. Previous positions have included Associate Organist and Artist in Residence at Saint Bartholomew’s Church, New York City, Assistant Organist posts at St. James Episcopal Church, the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in New York City, and Saint Clement’s Church in Philadelphia. He has also been on the roster of Associate Organists for the famous Wanamaker Grand Court organ in Philadelphia.

In 2004 Mr. Cowan was a featured artist at the national convention of the American Guild of Organists held in Los Angeles, California. He has also performed at many regional conventions of the AGO and has been a featured artist at several conventions of the Organ Historical Society and the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

Numerous critically acclaimed compact disc recordings are available by Mr. Cowan, Most of them on the JAV label. His most recent release is The Art of the Symphonic Organist, which was recorded on the 1921 E. M. Skinner organ at the Parish of St. Luke in Evanston, Illinois. In addition to his recordings for the JAV label, Mr. Cowan also joined organist Justin Bischof in the world premiere recording of American composer Aaron Miller’s Double Concerto for organ, recorded with the Zurich Symphony Orchestra on the Kleuker organ in the Tonhalle, Zurich, Switzerland (Ethereal Recordings). Many of Mr. Cowan’s recordings and live performances are regularly featured on the nationally distributed radio show PIPEDREAMS from American Public Media.

Current as of May 15, 2006