Stephen Hamilton, Guest Organist, to Perform at John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ Recital Series

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Stephen Hamilton, guest organist, will perform at the inaugural John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ Recital Series at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center on the University of Dubuque campus. The recital is a Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series special event.

Hamilton, a touring concert organist for over 40 years, is distinguished as a thoroughly engaging and sought-after virtuoso. Highlights of his international touring include recent concerts at the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris in Paris, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. Appearances at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, figure prominently among hundreds of solo recitals presented by Hamilton throughout the United States.

Hamilton gave the world premiere of American composer Kenton Coe's Concerto for Organ, Strings and Percussion at the Festival du Comminges in the Cathedral of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges in the Pyrenees region of France. As a writer, Hamilton championed Coe's music in his doctoral thesis that was published in The American Organist. In addition to United States performances of the Coe Concerto, Hamilton frequently appears with regional orchestras playing concertos ranging from Handel, Albinoni, and Rheinberger to Hindemith, Piston, Copland, and Poulenc. He also is a frequent collaborator with vocal and instrumental artists. Hamilton has been heard on national radio broadcasts such as Pipedreams and Pipes, Pedals and Pistons.

Hamilton is the minister of music emeritus at the Church of the Holy Trinity (Episcopal) in New York City. As organist, he also conducted the semi-professional Holy Trinity Choir and was artistic director of Music at Holy Trinity, the church's subscription concert series for 20 years. An avid educator, Hamilton was a member of the artist faculties of Hunter College, Manhattan School of Music, and Queens College. He frequently lectures on topics related to church music as well as organ pedagogy, performance, and interpretation. His classes on various aspects of church service playing have been featured at the Church Music Conference of the University of the South and by the publishers MorningStar, Oxford, and Augsburg. Hamilton's church music repertoire classes have been presented at seven National Conventions of the American Guild of Organists.

An Iowa native now residing in Minneapolis, Hamilton enjoyed rigorous private studies with legendary organists Russell Saunders, Arthur Poister, and Marie-Claire Alain. Featured repertoire in Hamilton's performance at Heritage Center will showcase masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ceasar Franck, Marcel Dupre, and more.

The day before his performance, Hamilton will host a repertoire masterclass and workshop on service music repertoire in Butler Hall. Both are free and open to the public. The repertoire masterclass will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9. Students and area organists are invited to play any piece of organ repertoire. Those interested in playing should contact Charles Barland, DMA, university organist and professor of music at UD, at [email protected] or 563.589.3564. The workshop on service music repertoire will be from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Hamilton will provide a handout of repertoire presented and will play examples for all to hear as new ideas for music in church are discovered.

UD dedicated the John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ on May 15, 2021. Designed for teaching, solo recitals, and performances with other musical ensembles, the pipe organ will expand students' musical horizons and enhance campus events for generations. UD Trustee John Butler (DHL'17) and his spouse, Alice (DHL'17), gifted the pipe organ. Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City, Iowa, built and installed the pipe organ - the 97th new organ built by the firm.

Tickets for Stephen Hamilton, Guest Organist, can be purchased from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 90 minutes prior to events at the Farber Box Office, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque, 2255 Bennett Street; by phone at 563.585.SHOW; or online at www.dbq.edu/heritagecenter.

Stephen Hamilton's performance can be added to a series ticket package at a discount. Patrons may choose four to seven additional fall semester events to customize a series ticket package at a discount between five to 20 percent. Other subscriber benefits include discounted companion tickets, priority seating, reduced fees, and payment plan options. Order forms are available online at www.dbq.edu/heritagecenter and the Farber Box Office.

To request a season brochure, please call the Farber Box Office at 563.585.SHOW.