Catherine Crozier
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Catharine Pearl Crozier (January 18, 1914 in
Hobart, Oklahoma Hobart is a city in, and the county seat of, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, United States. It is west-southwest of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, and northwest of Lawton, Oklahoma, Lawton. It was named for Garret Hobart, the 24th List of Vice ...
– September 19, 2003 in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
) was a leading American concert organist and teacher.


Early life and education

Catharine Crozier was born in
Hobart, Oklahoma Hobart is a city in, and the county seat of, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, United States. It is west-southwest of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, and northwest of Lawton, Oklahoma, Lawton. It was named for Garret Hobart, the 24th List of Vice ...
to the Rev. Walter Stuart Crozier and Alice Condit Crozier. As a child, she studied violin, piano, and organ, and made her first public appearance on the piano at age six. She studied at Central High in
Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The ...
from 1927 until 1931. For college, she attended the
Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...
in
Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
. Studying with
Harold Gleason Harold Gleason (1892–1980) was an American organist, teacher, lecturer, and scholar. He is best known as the author of ''Method of Organ Playing'', published in numerous editions made by him and later by his wife, concert organist Catharine ...
, she earned a bachelor's degree and a Performer's Certificate in 1936 and a master's degree and Artist's Diploma in 1941. She and Gleason married in 1942.


Teaching career

Crozier joined the
Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...
organ department faculty in 1939, where she served as department chair from 1953 to 1955. She and her husband then resigned from Eastman, whereupon she then joined the faculty of
Rollins College Rollins College is a Liberal arts college, private liberal arts college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several master's programs. Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institut ...
in
Winter Park, Florida Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29,795 according to the 2020 census. It is part of the Greater Orlando, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Winter Park was foun ...
, where she taught until 1969, while also serving as organist of Knowles Memorial Chapel on campus. She enjoyed international prominence as a teacher and adjudicator. In 2001, the
American Guild of Organists The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is an international organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the US, headquartered in New York City with its administrative offices in the Interchurch Center. Founded as a professional educa ...
established a video archive series of great organists, beginning with recordings of Crozier's teaching in ''The Master Series, Vol. I''.


Performing career

In 1941, Crozier made her concert debut in the
Washington National Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral or National Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Wa ...
at the
American Guild of Organists The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is an international organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the US, headquartered in New York City with its administrative offices in the Interchurch Center. Founded as a professional educa ...
National Convention, after which she concertized across the United States, Canada, and Europe in solo recitals and with ensembles, including the
New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...
, the
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music. History George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Compan ...
, and the Musica Aeterna Orchestra of New York. In 1955 she played the inaugural recital on Pittsburgh's Sixth United Presbyterian Church's new four-manual Aeolian-Skinner organ. In 1962, she and two other organists, E. Power Biggs and
Virgil Fox Virgil Keel Fox (May 3, 1912 in Princeton, Illinois – October 25, 1980 in Palm Beach, Florida) was an American organist, known especially for his years as organist at Riverside Church in New York City, from 1946 to 1965, and his flamboyant "Heav ...
, performed the inaugural recital on the new organ at Philharmonic Hall, now called
Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designed by Max Abramovitz, was o ...
, at
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
. She was one of the honored guests celebrating the New York Philharmonic Orchestra's 125th birthday at Lincoln Center in December 1967. Crozier also inaugurated the Kuhn Organ in
Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and Philanthropy, philanthropist whose donations assis ...
in 1975. In 1973 she was the featured organist at the International Contemporary Organ Music Festival at the Hartt School of Music. In 1993, Crozier moved to
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, where she served as Artist in Residence at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral until shortly before her death in 2003 at the age of 89. Crozier championed the works of contemporary composers, including
Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advo ...
,
Vincent Persichetti Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (June 6, 1915 – August 14, 1987) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, he was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own work ...
,
Ned Rorem Ned Miller Rorem (October 23, 1923 – November 18, 2022) was an American composer of contemporary classical music and a writer. Best known for his art songs, which number over 500, Rorem was considered the leading American of his time writing i ...
, and
Leo Sowerby Leo Salkeld Sowerby (1 May 1895 – 7 July 1968) was an American composer and church musician. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1946 and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid-20th century. His many s ...
. She was also known for her specializations in historical French and German repertoire, which she recorded extensively.


Honors

Crozier was one of the few female organists to forge a highly visible career in the mid-twentieth century. Her awards include the 1979 International Performer of the Year Award (presented by the New York City Chapter of the
American Guild of Organists The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is an international organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the US, headquartered in New York City with its administrative offices in the Interchurch Center. Founded as a professional educa ...
), the Alumni Achievement Award of the
Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...
, and the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
Citation to Alumni. She received honorary doctoral degrees from
Baldwin-Wallace College Baldwin Wallace University (BW) is a private university in Berea, Ohio, United States. Established in 1845 as Baldwin Institute by Methodist businessman John Baldwin, it merged with nearby German Wallace College in 1913 to become Baldwin-Wallac ...
,
Illinois College Illinois College is a private liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was the second college founded in Illinois but the first to grant a degree (in ...
,
Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...
, the
University of Southern Colorado Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) is a public university in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Colorado State University System and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). History 1933 to 1959 The idea for starting ...
, and her alma mater, the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
.


Publications

Crozier co-edited several editions of the ''Method of Organ Playing'', a method book by her husband and colleague
Harold Gleason Harold Gleason (1892–1980) was an American organist, teacher, lecturer, and scholar. He is best known as the author of ''Method of Organ Playing'', published in numerous editions made by him and later by his wife, concert organist Catharine ...
that was widely used in the United States. Following Gleason's death, she edited the seventh and eighth editions in 1988 and 1996.


Selected discography

* ''Catharine Crozier at Grace Cathedral: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Julius Reubke'', Delos 3090 * ''Catharine Crozier In Recital'', Gothic Records D-87904 * ''Catharine Crozier plays Aeolian-Skinner, opus 1309'', Fleur de Lis * ''Great Organ Works of Cesar Franck'', Delos * ''The King of Instruments: Catharine Crozier'' * ''Leo Sowerby: Symphony for Organ in G major'', Delos 3075 * ''New Dimensions in Organ Sound Volume XIV'', Washington Records WAS XIV * ''Organ Works by Ned Rorem: A Quaker Reader, Views from the Oldest House'', Delos 3076 * ''Things Visible and Invisible: The Rosales organ, Opus 11, Trinity Episcopal Church, Portland, Oregon'', Delos


References


External links


Eastman School of Music biography

Online recordings from ''Pipedreams''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crozier, Catharine American women organists American classical organists 1914 births 2003 deaths 21st-century American women musicians 20th-century American women musicians 21st-century American classical musicians 20th-century American classical musicians People from Hobart, Oklahoma Academics from Oklahoma Eastman School of Music faculty Rollins College faculty Eastman School of Music alumni 21st-century American keyboardists 20th-century American keyboardists American women keyboardists 21st-century American organists 20th-century American organists Classical musicians from Oklahoma