Olivet Presents: Spring 2020 Ovid Young Memorial Recital Series

Nationally recognized organists to perform on Ruffatti pipe organ.

Lauren Beatty

February 28, 2020 Arts & Music

Unfortunately we had to cancel this spring series due to COVID-19.

Olivet Nazarene University invites you to experience the glory of the Ruffatti pipe organ during The Ovid Young Memorial Organ Recital Series. Those who attend will be able to hear from three accomplished musicians.

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The spring 2020 recitals will take place in the Betty and Kenneth Hawkins Centennial Chapel on Olivet’s campus. Performances will take place at noon on March 16 and 23, and April 6. There is no admission charge for these concerts. 

The performance schedule and guest musicians are:

Monday, March 16, 2020 at noon — Kevin Edens
Kevin Edens serves as director of music and resident organist at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Iowa City, Iowa. He is a 2019 graduate of the University of Iowa, where he received the Master of Arts degree in organ performance under the instruction of Dr. Gregory Hand. Kevin was also a graduate teaching assistant in the organ area from 2017-2019 at the University of Iowa. 

Kevin received his undergraduate education from Furman University, located in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina. A member of Furman’s Class of 2017, he received the Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance under the instruction of Dr. Charles Tompkins. He has performed in organ master classes led by Olivier Latry, Craig Cramer, David Higgs, Stefan Engels, Nathan Laube and Chelsea Chen, among others. Kevin has concertized in parish churches and cathedrals across the southeastern and midwestern United States, and internationally in Austria, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. He is an alumni brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.

Monday, March 23, 2020 at noon — Andrew Kreigh
Andrew Kreigh, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, is director of music and liturgy at Saint Bernard Catholic Church in Madison. Andrew recently graduated from the University of Iowa where he received his master’s degree in organ performance under Dr. Gregory Hand. Andrew has also completed studies and master classes with instructors including: Olivier Latry, Christoph Bossert and Todd Wilson. 

Andrew was awarded one of two graduate assistantships at the University of Iowa in his first year, and during his second year Andrew received the distinguished Frawley Fellowship Award. Prior to receiving his master’s degree Andrew worked at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut, where he studied with his first teacher and mentor Ezequiel Menendez. Andrew also holds a bachelor’s degree in music business with an emphasis in piano performance from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he studied with Dr. Eli Kalman. Andrew’s career has taken him to various states and even internationally as a performer. Such locations consist of Connecticut, Wisconsin, New York, Texas, and Germany and Austria. This year, Andrew will be performing at three new recital series in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Monday, April 6, 2020 at noon — Josh Ring
Josh Ring is a DMA candidate for organ performance and pedagogy at the University of Iowa (UI), where he also earned his Master of Arts in organ performance. Studying organ with Gregory Hand, Josh has been a recipient of the Rahn and Frawley Organ Fellowship from the UI School of Music since 2017. 

In addition to his studies, Josh is a professor at Olivet Nazarene University in the School of Music, where he teaches music theory, organ, composition and piano. He also received his Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from Olivet in music composition with Karen Ball and piano performance with Gerald Anderson. While at Olivet he also studied organ with Timothy Nelson and guitar with Freddie Franken. He earned his Master of Music in composition with David Maki and his performer’s certificate in organ with James Russell Brown, both from Northern Illinois University. Josh has been featured on the radio program Pipedreams and has performed at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany as well as in the Netherlands, Brazil and across the midwestern United States.

This recital series honors the memory and musical career of Dr. Ovid Young, who passed away in 2014. An Olivet alumnus, he is remembered by many as a beloved performer, teacher, mentor and colleague. A pianist, organist, composer and conductor, Dr. Young had to his credit more than 7,000 performances in major concert halls, churches and colleges around the world.

For more information about this recital series go to olivet.edu/events. 

Published 2/28/2020
LB

Lauren Beatty

Lauren Beatty ’13 is a freelance writer, author, editor, artist and an adjunct professor in the Department of Communication at Olivet. She earned a Master of Arts degree in cross-cultural and sustainable business management from the American University of Paris in 2014. Her thesis explored the evolution of socially responsible business practices in America.

Student on main campus wearing pink sweater and holding water bottle.

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