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Organ and Church Music Institute
Presenter Biographies:
University of Michigan School of Music Theatre & Dance Faculty:
Marilyn Mason
Michele Johns
Andrew Mead
Louis Nagel
Guest Lecturers:
Gordon Atkinson
Although he was born in Melbourne, and returned in 2005, Gordon Atkinson spent much of his life in
England and North America. Following study in Melbourne with Dr AEH Nickson, he attended the
Royal College of Music in London from 1950 to 1953 where Dr Harold Darke was his organ teacher.
He was organist at St John the Baptist, Holland Road, Kensington, where two of his predecessors
were Dr Healey Willan and Sir William Harris. He moved to Canada in 1958. He taught at the University
of Western Ontario and Brock University, and was President of the Royal Canadian College of
Organists (1976-78). As Director of Music at the Cathedral of St Catherine, St Catharines, Ontario he was
consultant for the 3 manual instrument built by Orgues Letourneau. His Master's degree is from the
University of Michigan where he studied organ with Dr Marilyn Mason, and his 30 minute work for
Soprano Solo, SATB Choir and Organ, Psalms and Doxologies was submitted as the completion of his doctorate.
The solo setting of Ps 27 was performed at Central Synagogue in New York in January, 2006.
He has composed a number of organ works including Celebration, commissioned by Marilyn Mason
which was published in the USA in 2006. His choral pieces range from anthems for various combinations
of voices, a set of songs for soprano and oboe to Immensity One:With Sounds of Exultation, for
SATB Choir, Organ, Brass Quintet and Tympani. He has written eight settings of the Mass.
Dr Atkinson's Adoro Te was played at The Scots' Church, Melbourne in 2007. It appears on a CD played
by Dr Marijim Thoene at St Joseph Abbey, St Benedict, Louisiana, on the splendid Dobson Pipe Organ.
Steven Hoffman
Dr. Steven Hoffman serves as Kantor at King of Glory Lutheran Church, Cheyenne Wyoming. He
also serves as Kantor at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Laramie, Wyoming. Dr. Hoffman also
teaches music at Trinity Lutheran School, Cheyenne; and teaches Organ and Counterpoint at the
University of Wyoming, Laramie. He is the founder of the King's Concert Series at King of Glory Lutheran
Church. Currently he is writing a book on the Relationship between Lutheran Theology and Sacred Music. He is
also a composer and improviser of sacred music. Dr. Hoffman holds the Bachelor of Music in organ and choral music
from the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, Appleton, Wisconsin; the Master of Music in organ from the University of
South Dakota, Vermillion; and the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Michigan, where he studied
with Marilyn Mason.
Ralph Kneeream
Dr. Kneeream earned a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in French Language and Literature
from Columbia University. He holds a Doctor of Music Degree from Northwestern University.
His principal mentor was Searle Wright. He has held Organist/Choir Director positions in Churches
and Temples in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Florida. As an organ recitalist
, he has concertized in the United States and Europe, including three recitals at Notre Dame Cathedral
in Paris. As a music and French teacher, he has taught at Blair Academy, Columbia University,
Northwestern University, and The Harid Conservatory. He has participated in Institutes at The
University of Michigan, giving seminars on Franck, Tournemire, Dupré, and Duruflé. He has
translated from the French and edited Recollections by Marcel Dupré (Belwin-Mills, 1975),
César Franck by Charles Tournemire (University Microfilms International, 1989), and he has
contributed numerous articles on various musical subjects to several professional magazines.
Dr. Kneeream is a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Anglican
Musicians, the Organ Historical Society, and he was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, the National
Music Honor Society. Dr Kneeream has enjoyed numerous personal and professional contracts
with several of France’s celebrated personages of the 20th century French organ world,
namely Marcel Dupré, Mme. Charles Tournemire, Maurice Duruflé, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé,
Nadia Boulanger, and André Marchal. He has devoted both time and effort to a better
understanding of both the Classical and the Symphonic French Organ Traditions.
Helmut Schick
Helmut Schick was born in 1946 in Coburg Germany, migrating to the United States with his family in 1955.
Studies at the University of Michigan in Medieval History and History of Art were followed by work in Traffic safety
research and jewelry. After 28 years working in the Department of Physics at the University of Michigan, he is
devoting his efforts to work on organs. His organ building experience has been with Gerhardt Beisexker, Robert
Fouser and Robert Noehren. In 2002 he worked on the restoration of the historic 1874 Garrett House organ in
Lake Linden Michigan for the Houghton County Historical Society. Currently Mr Schick provides organ maintenance
and tuning for a number of churches in southern Michigan.
Erven Thoma
Erven Thoma has a BA and MM from the Washington University in St Louis where he studied with Howard Kelsey,
followed by Anton Heiller under a Fulbright. Later he received a MM in Music Theory and a DMA in organ, church music,
studying with Dr Marilyn Mason for many years. Presently Erven teaches for the Ann Arbor School of Performing Arts
and is the music director/organist for the Martin Lutheran Chapel in East Lansing.
Tapani Yrjőla
Tapani Yrjőla is a Finnish concert violinist and educator who performs at least fifty recitals annually in Europe and the
US. He is especially known for performances of the complete solo violin music pf JS Bach. Tapani is head of the
String Department at Joensuu Conservatory, Finland. Dr Yrjőla was the first Finnish string player to earn a doctorate.
He received the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan in 1989. He also
holds a Master’s Degree and a Post Graduate Diploma from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He has been recipient
of a number of awards and scholarships including Finlandia Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation and being
a Sibelius Scholar, appearing as a soloist in orchestras.
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