THOMAS MURRAY Biography

Transcription

1 THOMAS MURRAY Biography Thomas Murray, concert organist and recording artist, is University Organist and Professor of Music at Yale University, where he has served on the faculty for 28 years and has taught many of the leading performers of a younger generation. Widely known for his interpretations of Romantic repertoire and orchestral transcriptions, his recordings are highly acclaimed. High Fidelity has credited him with... consummate skill and artistry in treating the organ as a great orchestra and American Record Guide said of his Elgar CD: Murray s performance and his handling of the immense resources of the Woolsey Hall organ are beyond superlatives... the shape of every phrase, the use of every color... could not be more perfect. Born in California in 1943, Murray studied with Clarence Mader at Occidental College. He has appeared in recitals and lectures at six national conventions of the A.G.O., which named him International Artist of the Year for As the recipient of this award he followed such luminaries as Marie-Claire Alain, Jean Guillou and Dame Gillian Weir. In 2003 he was named an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Organists in England, and in 2005 he was awarded the Gustave Stoeckel Award for excellence in teaching from the Yale University School of Music.

2 Biography, page 2 He has appeared in Japan, South America and Australia, as well as in most countries of continental Europe; his performances have included recitals for the International Congress of Organists in Cambridge (1987) and the Lahti Organ Festival in Finland, where he was soloist with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Constantin Orbelian. As a soloist in North America he has performed with the Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Houston and New Haven Symphony Orchestras, as well as the National Chamber Orchestra in Washington DC, the Yale Philharmonia and Yale Symphony Orchestra. In 2008, Prof. Murray performed at a festival inaugurating the new organ in Magdeburg Cathedral (Germany); he returned to Europe in September of that year to play the inaugural recital on the new instrument at St. Johannes Church in Malmö, Sweden. Among his appearances during the 2008/09 season were the debut recital on the renovated E.M. Skinner organ in Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago and recitals for the Anglican Association of Musicians at Disney Hall in Los Angeles and for the Organ Historical Society at Severance Hall in Cleveland. In the current season Murray will collaborate with conductor Simon Carrington and the Yale Schola Cantorum in a performance of Richard Rodney Bennett s choral piece The Glory and the Dream. Current as of September 2009 Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc Seneca Drive Cleveland, OH TOLL FREE (866) FAX (440)

3 THOMAS MURRAY Press Notices NEW YORK CITY Mr. Murray played this, and the whole program, with almost a conductor s sense of tempo relationships and long-term pacing. His registrations were apt and had, without ostentation, a bold quality of definition and specificity about them. The New York Times CLEVELAND Murray s elegant playing and astonishingly smooth control of the instrument had the audience out of their seats the moment his hands came off the keys ClevelandClassical.com BUFFALO (Organ Historical Society Convention) Murray received a richly deserved standing ovation for his expert playing and was able to bring out the best from this somewhat unusually designed and very fundamental-toned organ (Ward Memorial Organ, Central Park UMC). The Diapason CHICAGO a thrilling performance by Thomas Murray a perfect match of organ, program and artist. Murray justly received a tumultuous standing ovation. The Diapason BOSTON Renowned for his scrupulous attention to color and the mechanics of registration, he communicated the essence of each phrase to an appreciative audience which responded with a standing ovation. The Diapason SAN FRANCISCO Murray played... with a keen sense of style, and technique to burn. He s more than an organist, he s an artist. San Francisco Chronicle LOS ANGELES In the hands of a Thomas Murray the revival of the Romantic organ repertory, disparaged for several decades by Baroque organ proponents and faddists, seems assured... his playing and registrations throughout the recital were superlative. The Los Angeles Times TOKYO Murray played with exquisite skill and colorful brilliance, together with a dynamism and variety of tempo which convinced the audience they were listening to a master organist... I have attended several of the Great Organists Series concerts; this was the most impressive and unforgettable. Ongaku no Tomo

4 Press Notices, page 2 ATLANTA Throughout the recital Mr. Murray displayed that hallmark of the finest musicians: technique equal to the greatest challenges yet placed in the interpretative service of the music. He demonstrated the rare ability to capture the distinctive style of each piece and the imagination to elicit registrations that both enthralled with their coloristic allure and illuminated through their musical appropriateness. The Atlanta Constitution MILWAUKEE ORGAN RECITAL IS A BIG SHOW... Murray, a calm, quiet sort of performer, left his mark on the music... it was impossible not to feel the excitement, the splendid show of the recital... the secret for his success is clear: he s a thoughtful, careful artist, sure of his music and his technique. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Copland Symphony for Organ and Orchestra) Delfs, Murray and the orchestra were very much on top of the notes and gave the piece the aggressive energy it requires. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ST. LOUIS With a performer, instrument, hall and program of the first order, last night s concert... was an occasion, and it ended with the audience on its feet applauding happily. St. Louis Dispatch NEW HAVEN (Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 with the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale) In the final movement Thomas Murray s performance on the famous Newberry Memorial organ stole the show, culminating in a great apotheosis of sound. New Haven Register SPRINGFIELD, MA Using a multitude of colors he captured the essence of the symphonic organ in a masterful and artistic rendition which capped a truly superb recital. The American Organist HAMILTON, ON This remarkable performer gives the appearance of playing for himself, yet he s a communicator par excellence. There are very few players who could not benefit from hearing his extraordinary skill in shaping phrases and in creating from them a momentum that carries a piece from start to finish with never a break in its artistic unity. The American Organist WASHINGTON, D.C. the secret of his success as an interpreter lies in his treatment of the organ as a great orchestra. His rendition of Maurice Duruflé s Suite, Op. 5, which closed the concert, was a virtuoso romp that brought the audience to its feet. The Washington Post CLEVELAND, OH seemed to play itself. So natural was his musicality and so secure his technique that the music Cleveland Plain Dealer

5 Press Notices, page 3 RECORDING REVIEWS Great Organbuilders of America: A retrospective - Vol. 14 Thomas Murray, the Newberry memorial organ, Woolsey Hall, Yale University commanding interpretations of the Mozart F minor Fantasia, Reger s introduction & Passacaglia in D and the Hindemith First Sonata from Thomas Murray one has the inescapable impression of an enthralling partnership of instrument and player, both at the very peak of their considerable powers. Choir and Organ magazine Elgar: Organ Music (Gothic Records) Murray s performance and his handling of the immense resources of the Woolsey Hall organ are beyond superlatives. American Record Guide Ever a thoughtful musician, Thomas Murray approaches his task with seriousness and sensitivity... As for the performances, they reveal consummate skill and artistry... High Fidelity An Elm Court Musicale (JAV Recordings) Thomas Murray s beautifully judged interpretation warmly commended. Organists Review The Longwood Gardens Organ, Volume 1 (DTR 8305) Professor Murray supplies a total workout and establishes himself as a thoroughly witty and entertaining Romanticist. As an icon of the advanced stages of the Romantic revival in organ performance DTR 8305 would be exceptional for its musical integrity and dignity. But in the abstract, Murray supplies rewarding listening in a varied recital which achieves its principal goal to demonstrate an unusual, enjoyable, instrument. Fanfare As usual, Murray is the consummate musician, the organist s organist... his towering technique negotiates the most difficult passages with ease, but always serving the music rather than drawing attention to it. The American Organist Thomas Murray: Music of Schumann and Mendelssohn (JAV Recordings) The hallmark Murray performance traits bring this gorgeous music radiantly alive this is music-making of the highest order Organists Review Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc Seneca Drive Cleveland, OH TOLL FREE (866) FAX (440)

6 THOMAS MURRAY Selected Discography Thomas Murray plays the Newberry Memorial Organ at Woolsey Hall Yale University **New Release** Works by J. S. Bach, Vaughn Williams, Mozart, Reger, Hindemith, Bonnet, Karg-Elert, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Krigbaum JAV 124 (2 CDs) Music of Schumann and Mendelssohn Played on the Schoenstein organ at First-Plymouth Congregational Church, Lincoln NE 1999 JAV 117 (CD only) Edward Elgar - Music for Organ (Original Works and Transcriptions) Played on the Newberry Memorial Organ, Woolsey Hall, Yale University 1993 & 1995 Gothic G49076 (CD only) The Transcriber's Art Music of Sibelius, Delius, Rachmaninoff, Handel, Elgar, Liszt, Ravel, Kreisler, recorded on the Woolsey Hall Organ 1992 Gothic G49054 (CD only) An American Masterpiece Music of Elgar (Sonata, Op. 28), Rheinberger (Sonata #5), Niels Gade and J. S. Bach, recorded on the 1863 Hook organ, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Boston 1979 AFKA SK-507 (CD only) The French Collection Music of Widor (Symphonie VI), Vierne, Dupré, Franck and Gigout, played on the Schoenstein organ of St. Peter and St. Paul Church, San Francisco 1989 AFKA SK-512 (CD and Cassette) An Evening with Edwin H. Lemare Organ works and transcriptions of the legendary English virtuoso, played on the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ in Portland, Maine 1991 AFKA S-515 (CD only) The Symphonic Organ Favorites of Grieg (Peer Gynt Suite #I), Dvorak (Carnival Overture), Wagner, Gounod, Elgar and others, recorded on the Newberry Memorial Organ in Woolsey Hall, Yale University, New Haven 1990 PRIORY PRCD3 3 8 (CD only) The Longwood Gardens Organ Organ music of Firmin Swinnen and Seth Bingham; transcriptions of Handel, Elgar, Debussy and others, played on the Aeolian Organ at Pierre S. dupont s estate in Kennett Square, Philadelphia 1983 DTR 8305 CD (CD and Cassette)

7 Discography, page 2 Organ Works of Henri Mulet Recorded on the Austin Organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa 1991 ARKAY AR6111 (CD and Cassette) The Great Organ at Czestochowa Works by Guilmant, Davies, Bach, Bossi, Vaughan Williams, Brahms, Duruflé, Boulanger, Purcell, Wright, Paderewski, and Mulet recorded on the Austin Organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa 1991 ARKAY AR2143 (CD and Cassette) Recital Selections and Lecture in The American Classic Organ Symposium Music by Saint-Saëns, Mulet, Lemare, Cook (with transcriptions of Delius, Elgar and Rachmaninoff), recorded on the Tabernacle Organ in Salt Lake City. Lecture on the work of G. Donald Harrison and the American Classic Organ. Available from The American Guild of Organists 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260 NY NY (Cassette only) LPs Thomas Murray Plays Works of Franck recorded on the 1863 E&G.G. Hook organ, Immaculate Conception Church, Boston 1971 S-1 I Mendelssohn at Jamaica Plain recorded on the 1854 E&G.G. Hook organ, First Religious Society, Jamaica Plain 1973 S-13 Mendelssohn in East Boston recorded on the 1857 W.B.D.Simmons organ, Church of the Most Holy Redeemer 1975 S-18 The Organ at Immaculate Conception Church, Boston Works by Elgar, Rheinberger and Gade (works on this album are available on the AFKA CD An American Masterpiece SK-507 listed above) recorded 1979 S-23 LPs are available through: Sheffield Town Hall Records PO Box 5332 Santa Barbara, California / Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc Seneca Drive Cleveland, OH TOLL FREE (866) FAX (440)