Gregory Peterson has been hailed as an organist with “imagination and verve” whose performances “make occasions.” His playing is described as “competent and stylish” (The American Organist) and “excellent and masterful” (Barometern — Sweden). A frequent soloist, he has given recitals in important venues including the Memorial Music Hall, Methuen, Massachusetts, the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help known as the Mission Church, Boston and New York City’s famed Riverside Church. European venues include the Berlin Cathedral; Helsinki’s Rock Church; St. Anne’s Church, Warsaw; St. Nicholas Church, Prague; St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden and St. Augustine’s Church, Penarth, Cardiff. He has also performed at national and regional conferences of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and throughout the United States. He is featured on the critically acclaimed compact disc “Heroic Sounds,” released by Denouement Records and is represented by Concert Artist Cooperative of Sebastopol, California.

Dr. Peterson joined the Luther College, Decorah, Iowa music faculty in September of 2005 as Assistant Professor of Music and College Organist, returning to his alma mater. At Luther he teaches applied organ, church music and music theory and plays for daily and Sunday chapel in the College’s Center for Faith and Life on the 42-stop mechanical action organ by Robert Sipe. A dedicated and expert professional church musician for more than twenty years, he served the historic Old South Church on Boston’s Copley Square as Organist and Minister of Music from 1997-2005. At Old South he directed the Old South Choir and Old South Ringers and performed regularly with the Old South Brass, Organ and Timpani Ensemble including the ever-popular annual First Night Concerts on New Year’s Eve known for “nice music superbly played” (Journal of the Association of Anglican Church Musicians). . Prior to his appointment in Boston he was Christ Chapel Organist and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.

Gregory Peterson was born in Ames, Iowa and grew up in Northfield, Minnesota. He earned the B.A. degree in music at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa where he studied with William Kuhlman. He holds the M.M. degree from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music where he was Hugh Giles Scholar and received the Harry B. Jepson Memorial Scholarship as a pupil of Charles Krigbaum. He holds the D.M.A degree in organ performance and pedagogy from the University of Iowa where he studied with Delores Bruch and Delbert Disselhorst as a Rahn Scholar and teaching assistant. He undertook additional master classes at the Gothenburg International Organ Academy in Sweden. He is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honor society.

Known as a leader in the field of church music, Gregory Peterson was elected to two terms as President of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists as Professional Concerns Chair. In 2002 he spent a week in residency at Luther College as a “Sense of Vocation” Program Visitor funded by a grant from the Lilly Foundation.


gasponpete@aol.com