David Chamberlin is all about pipe organs: he builds them, plays them, and writes music for them.
Since 1985, he has been employed full time at M. L. Bigelow & Company, Inc., Organ Builders, of American Fork, where he serves as vice-president and tonal director. His responsibilities include mechanical design, as well as tonal design and finishing.
He also freelances as a pipe organ tuner/technician. Since 1987, he has been the organist of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Salt Lake City. In addition to playing the organ, he regularly composes psalm settings for congregational use. In 1995 Zion’s congregation commissioned him to compose a new liturgical setting – “Lord, We Come to Your Table” – which is now in regular use.
David has appeared in recital in the United States and Germany, including the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and Freiberg Cathedral (historic G. Silbermann organs). He has occasionally performed his own compositions on organs that he has helped design and build.
In 2003, he founded Chamberlin Music Enterprises and began publishing LDS Hymn Voluntaries, bearing the slogan: “An organ piece for every hymn in the book.” About 100 of the 326 planned pieces have been published to date.
Susan Swidnicki, Children’s Choir Director Susan Swidnicki is principal oboist of the Ballet West Orchestra and is an active freelance player and teacher in the Salt Lake City area. She holds a master’s degree in oboe from St. Louis Conservatory of Music where she studied with Peter Bowman and a bachelor’s degree in oboe performance from the University of Utah where she was a student of Robert Stephenson.
Ms. Susan loves teaching the children music and is fully trained in the Orff-Schulwerk approach, which believes “that music and movement – to speak, sing and play; to listen and understand; to move and create – should be an active and joyful experience. ” www.aosa.com.
While the tireless children’s director at Zion, Ms. Susan is currently the music specialist for Rowland Hall School, Utah and Music teacher for Let Me Shine Preschool.
Dianne Krehbiel, Choir DirectorMusic teacher for Oakridge Elementary, Utah and recepient of the Huntsman Award for Outstanding Educator in 2008.
Bio coming soon
ZY Jam, Zion’s Youth Praise Band, with Band leader, Brian Ruggles
ZY Jam is for Junior and Senior high school age youth.
Meet Haruhito Miyagi, assistant organist for a season. Mr. Miyagi is currently working towards a PhD in music composition at the University of Utah. He holds bachelors and masters degrees in organ performance from BYU and Notre Dame, respectively, and his résumé includes numerous credits as organist, pianist, teacher, lecturer, conductor, and composer. By the way, he is giving an all-Liszt organ recital at Libby Gardner Hall on the U of U campus October 16th at 7:30 pm.Mr. Miyagi is a personal friend of our regular and long-time organist, David Chamberlin, who is delighted to share his position about half of the time for the rest of the calendar year. During this time, Mr. Chamberlin will be working practically every weekday as an organ builder on the new organ at St. Mark’s Cathedral downtown, and making the commute from American Fork six days a week just seemed a bit much. Mr. Chamberlin just hopes the people of Zion won’t be too let down when he starts playing every Sunday again!
