The August 11 concert features Sarah Johnson (Rochester, NY) performing music of John Knowles Paine, Jacques van Oortmerssen, and J. S. Bach. Johnson is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies with David Higgs. A native of Garland, Maine, Johnson began her organ lessons with Kevin Birch, organist and music director at Saint John’s Catholic Church in Bangor. In her undergraduate degree at Vassar College she studied organ with Gail Archer, and piano with Todd Crow. Johnson holds a Master of Sacred Music from Boston University, where she studied organ with Peter Sykes. Since beginning college, Johnson has performed in New York City at Central Synagogue, and in Boston at Old West, Trinity Copley, and Holy Name Parish. She was named an E. Power Biggs Fellow of the Organ Historical Society in 2013. Johnson was featured as a rising star and guest recitalist at the 2017 Musforum Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, and took part in a master class at Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. She recently performed at Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Methuen, MA on their 74th annual series. During her time in Boston, Johnson was Organ Scholar at Holy Name Parish in West Roxbury and Assistant Librarian at the Organ Library of the American Guild of Organists. In Rochester, Johnson was the Organ Assistant (VanDelinder Prize Winner) at Christ Church for the years 2018-2020. Johnson currently serves as Minister of Music at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Rochester.
