Longwood Debut
The recent Pierre S. du Pont First Prize and AGO Philadelphia Chapter Prize winner of the 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition—as well as the Firmin Swinnen Second Prize winner of the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition—Bryan Anderson makes his Longwood solo performance debut with Marcel Dupré’s Nympheas, as well as music by Elgar and Gunnar Idenstam.
Named by The Diapason to its “20 under 30” Class of 2017, Anderson enjoys a versatile career as an organist, church musician, teacher, and musical collaborator. Anderson also took prizes at the 2021 Canadian International Organ Competition and the Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition. Anderson has performed at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society and has been featured numerous times on American Public Media's Pipedreams. He appeared on the album Pipedreams Premieres, vol. 3, performing music of Henry Martin alongside Isabelle Demers, Stephen Tharp, and Ken Cowan. Anderson has completed nearly one dozen original orchestral transcriptions, including works by Duruflé, Alkan, Debussy, and Dave Brubeck, and enjoys utilizing these arrangements in recitals.
In addition to solo work, Anderson enjoys an active performance life as a musical collaborator. As a continuo artist at the organ and harpsichord, Anderson is a regular performer with the early-music groups Harmonia Stellarum Houston and the Oklahoma Bach Choir, and has also appeared recently with Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera, Kentucky Baroque Trumpets, and the viols of Les Touches. Anderson is also an experienced collaborative pianist and chamber musician, with many years of work as an instrumental and choral accompanist, including as the current concert accompanist for the Houston Children’s' Chorus.
In Anderson’s current position as Director of Music at Saint Thomas’ Episcopal Church and School in Houston, he trains all ages of choirs from elementary ages through adults, oversees eight sung services per week, and organizes a concert season of guest artists and in-house ensembles. He serves as Co-Manager of the RSCM Gulf Coast choral residency program and has also worked as the Preparatory Choir Director for the Houston Children’s Chorus. He previously held positions at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston; Wells Cathedral in Somerset, England; and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Tenth Presbyterian Church, both in Philadelphia. He also served as an assistant organist of the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, Philadelphia.
Anderson received his master’s degree in organ performance from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in 2018, where he studied with Ken Cowan. His undergraduate work was completed at the Curtis Institute of Music, resulting in his bachelor’s degree in organ with Alan Morrison and an Artist Diploma in harpsichord with Leon Schelhase. Previous teachers were Jeannine Morrison (piano) and Sarah Martin (organ).
As part of his Longwood prize, Anderson represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.
