Jeffrey Brillhart
Lecturer in organ improvisation.
Jeffrey Brillhart has performed throughout the United States, South America, South Africa, and Europe as conductor and organist and is known for his musical versatility. He was awarded first place at the American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Improvisation in 1994. Mr. Brillhart is director of music and fine arts at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, where he oversees music, education, and arts programs that involve more than 500 children, youth, and adults each week. He is also music director of Philadelphia’s acclaimed Singing City Choir, one of the first integrated community choirs in the United States. At Singing City he follows a distinguished line of conductors that includes Elaine Brown and Joseph Flummerfelt. Under his direction, his choral ensembles have performed with the Kronos Quartet, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Bobbie McFerrin, Dave Brubeck, Helmuth Rilling, and Rossen Milanov, and on tours to Cuba, Northern Ireland, and Brazil. Mr. Brillhart maintains an active schedule as conductor, organist, and clinician, most recently at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Eastman School of Music, Westminster Choir College, Furman University, Walla Walla College, and Baylor University. His improvisation textbook, Breaking Free: Organ Improvisation in the Modern French Style, will be published by Wayne Leopold Editions in 2011. Upcoming engagements include a concert with Canadian Brass in Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and a solo recital at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. M.M. Eastman School of Music.
Updated July 2011