LADD THOMAS

Program Biography

     Organist LADD THOMAS has been presented in recitals and concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe.  In addition to appearances in important festivals, he has performed for national and regional conventions of The American Guild of Organists.  He frequently appears with various ensembles, playing continuo on both harpsichord and organ.

     Dr. Thomas has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras throughout the United States and Canada, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (Ontario), Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, and the Pasadena, Long Beach and Glendale Symphony Orchestras, performing with conductors Zubin Mehta, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Christopher Seaman, Jorge Mester, William Hall, Roger Wagner, Richard Lert, Eduardo Mata, Boris Brott and Robert Duerr. 

     In addition to recordings with significant ensembles on London-Decca, Angel, Summit, Owl and Klavier labels, Thomas can be heard on many motion picture sound tracks including Star Trek-The Movie, Home Alone, Witches of Eastwick, Beaches, Die Hard, Ghost Story and the internationally aired television production Grace Kelly.

     Since 1960, Ladd Thomas has been on the faculty of the University of Southern California.  He is currently Professor of Music and Chair of the Organ Department at the Thornton School of Music at USC.  In June of 2000, he completed forty years as organist of the First United Methodist Church in Glendale, California.  He is also organist for the Vallejo Drive Church of Seventh-day Adventists in Glendale.  In 2000, his forty years of service to the Methodist Church were recognized by the establishment of the Ladd Thomas Scholarship for Church Music at the Claremont School of Theology.

     Ladd Thomas holds two degrees from Occidental College - a Bachelor of Arts and an honorary Doctor of Music.  He also received the degree, Master of Theology, from the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California.  He studied piano with Gustav Riherd and Muriel Kerr, and organ with Max Miller, David Craighead and Clarence Mader.