SOP Podcast 106 - Weston Jennings on Letting the Instrument Tell You What It Wants
b"Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast #106!\\n\\nhttp://www.organduo.lt/podcast\\n\\nToday's guest is an American organist Weston Jennings who is quickly establishing himself as a talented and engaging international performer.\\n\\nWe recorded this conversation before his concert at Vilnius University St. John's church which was about a month ago on July 1. On his thoughtful program - works of Felix Mendelssohn, Edwin Lemare, Arvo P\\xe4rt, Johannes Brahms, David Conte and, of course, Johann Sebastian Bach.\\n\\nHaving first encountered the pipe organ at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp (Michigan) at the age of sixteen, Weston later graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy. At the Eastman School of Music, Weston earned his Bachelor of Music Degree and the prestigious Performer\\u2019s Certificate.\\nHe recently completed two years in England as the Organ Scholar of Canterbury Cathedral and Chelmsford Cathedral. During this time, he was also appointed the first Organ Scholar to the Royal Festival Hall, London.\\nWeston currently studies with Thomas Murray at the Yale School of Music and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Former organ teachers include Michel Bouvard, Hans Davidsson, David Higgs and Thomas Bara. Following his recital debut at The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) in 2009, he has performed across the United States and Europe, including Westminster Abbey (London), Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue (New York), The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Los Angeles), The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Denver), the Chapel of the Queen\\u2019s College (Oxford), Royaumont Abbey (France), and the Berliner Dom (Germany).\\nOn the Newberry Memorial Organ of Woolsey Hall, Weston has performed with The Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale, The Yale Concert Band, and The Yale Symphony Orchestra. As a part of the London Handel Festival, he collaborated with the Apollo Baroque Consort in a concert of Handel Organ Concertos from Mayfair\\u2019s Grosvenor Chapel. \\nWeston is an enthusiastic advocate for new music and has premiered compositions by Molly Joyce, Soosan Lolavar, Mark Carroll, and Allison Willis. His performances and interviews have been broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. \\nCommitted to the education of new organists, Weston presently serves as Instructor of Undergraduate and Secondary Organ at Yale College. He has served on the faculty of the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, the Department of Music at The King\\u2019s School, Canterbury, and taught and performed at several Pipe Organ Encounters across America.\\nForthcoming recital engagements include St. Paul\\u2019s Cathedral (London), St. George\\u2019s Chapel of Windsor Castle, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Moscow), Hildesheim Cathedral (Germany), and Kelvingrove Art Gallery (Glasgow).\\u200b\\n\\nIn this conversation Weston shares his insights on finding the right bench height, your favorite repertoire, and letting the instrument tell you what it wants.\\n\\n\\u200bEnjoy and share your comments below.\\n\\n\\u200bAnd don't forget to help spread the word about the SOP Podcast by sharing it with your organist friends.\\n\\nAnd if you like it, please go over to iTunes and leave a rating and review. This helps to get this podcast in front of more organists who would find it helpful.\\n\\nThanks for caring.\\n\\nRelated Link:\\nhttp://www.westonjennings.com"