Studying Organ at Trinity

Trinity College offers unique opportunities to study organ music, including private lessons, other academic classes, and co-curricular experiences at the Chapel and in Greater Hartford.

Faculty

Trinity organists study with Christopher Houlihan ’09, John Rose Distinguished College Organist, Director of Chapel Music, and Artist-in-Residence. Houlihan is a well known concert organist and graduate of Trinity College who has served on the faculty since 2017.

Instruments

Students have their lessons on Trinity’s landmark pipe organ, built in 1971 by Austin Organs, Inc., of Hartford. The Chapel also houses a small mechanical action organ built by Nicholson & Co. Ltd of Malvern, England, and an additional Hauptwerk practice instrument is located in Austin Arts Center. Organ students have generous, 24/7 access to these instruments.

Academic and Co-Curricular Offerings

Organists of all levels are eligible to take private lessons for credit, each semester, though some previous keyboard experience is required. Most students also enroll in “Organists’ Lab,” a weekly studio class. A music elective, “Organ Literature and History,” covers the repertoire of the pipe organ spanning the instrument’s centuries-long development. Advanced organists may earn an experiential certificate in Organ Performance (part of the Trinity Plus

Curriculum) which includes an organ-scholar internship at a local church (or the Trinity College Chapel). In their senior year, students may opt to perform a Senior Recital for credit, or complete a Senior Project including a combination of research and performance.

Trinity College offers a Bachelor of Arts in Music. (Students completing majors in both music and a science earn a Bachelor of Science.)

Other Experiential Opportunities

Trinity College’s neo-gothic Chapel is home to musical events sponsored by Chapel Music and the music department, including an annual series of visiting recitalists and the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival Hartford. Advanced students may work on campus as an Assistant Chapel Organist, and students of all levels frequently play voluntaries and hymns at Chapel services. There are also opportunities to learn collaborative accompaniment skills in performances with The Chapel Singers, Trinity’s oldest musical organization.

Admissions

Students interested in pursuing organ study at Trinity College should contact Christopher Houlihan to schedule a meeting. Though there is no formal audition, students are encouraged to request a trial lesson and to submit supplemental materials as part of the admissions process.

Financial Aid

Trinity College is committed to ensuring students receive robust financial assistance through the generosity of our need based and merit based programs. The John Rose Organ Scholarship is awarded annually to an advanced organ student. A substantial bequest allows organ students to enroll in lessons without an additional fee and supports the work of the organ program. All other necessary and reasonable organ student costs are covered, including shoes, textbooks, and sheet music. Possible campus jobs (eligible for work study) include singing with The Chapel Singers, working as an Assistant Chapel Organist, or accompanying Roman Catholic mass.