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About the Board

 

Anne Krentz Organ: President-Elect

 

Anne serves as the Director of Music Ministries at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, IL. Her responsibilities include worship planning, service playing, and the direction of the choral and instrumental music program which includes adult, youth, and children's choirs, handbell choirs, and a variety of instrumental ensembles. Anne holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Valparaiso University, a Master of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Church Music from Concordia University at River Forest, IL. Her compositions are published by Abingdon Press, Augsburg Fortress, Choristers Guild, and Concordia Publishing House. Anne has served ALCM as President of Region 3 in 2000-2002 and 2002-2004; served on the Worship Planning teams for biennial conferences in 1996-1997 (Valparaiso) and 2008-2009 (Milwaukee); served on the Program Planning team for the biennial conference in 2000-2001 (Kansas City); and currently chairs the task force on Member Benefits, 2010-2011.

 

Thomas Schmidt:  Director at Large

 

Work Experience

  • 1968-1990         Assistant Professor, Concordia College (Bronxville, NY)
  • 1979-2004         Pianist, The Arden Trio
  • 1990-Present     Cantor, Saint Peter’s Church (New York, NY)
  • 2008-Present     Assistant Conductor, Gregg Smith Singers
  • 2009-Present     Conductor, Long Island Symphonic Choral Association

ALCM and AGO

  • Organist and/or workshop presenter ALCM (1993, 2001, 2008); AGO (1996, 2007)
  • Secretary/Treasurer ALCM Region 1 (2008-10)
  • Member, ALCM conference planning committees (2005, 2008, 2010)
  • Member, AGO conference planning committee (2006)

Education

  • BM  (Church Music), Valparaiso University
  • MM (Piano), University of Wisconsin
  • DMA (Piano), Yale University
  • AAGO certification

I have led a dual musical life, first as a pianist, touring and recording with the Arden Trio, and second as a church musician, leading the musical life of Saint Peter’s Church in New York City for the past 21 years.  I believe that the professional experience with the Arden Trio inspired me to set high standards for my work as a church musician.  I have benefitted greatly from the rich musical and liturgical tradition at Saint Peter’s and also from the openness of its clergy and its members to any kind of good music, be it chant, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Duruflé, jazz, gospel or anything in between. 

Saint Peter’s Choir sings one of Bach’s passions in a service every Good Friday, the Fauré or Duruflé Requiem on All Saints, and a choral mass setting, often by a contemporary composer, on Transfiguration.  Major projects for the past several years have included Bach’s St. John Passion, music by living New York composers, and the Rachmaninoff Vespers.