2022 RECITAL SERIES ARTIST:
Christopher Houlihan: January 21, 2022
The organist Christopher Houlihan has established an international reputation as an “intelligently virtuoso musician”(Gramophone), hailed for his “glowing, miraculously life-affirming performances” (Los Angeles Times).
Houlihan has performed at Disney Concert Hall with principal brass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Los Angeles Times raved about his Disney Hall debut, proclaiming, "Houlihan is the next big organ talent." He has been featured as organ soloist with the Hartford Symphony, Columbus (GA) Symphony, and the Boston Chamber Orchestra.
Christopher Houlihan has appeared in recital at celebrated venues across North America and Europe including the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, Glasgow Cathedral in Scotland, and San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral and Davies Symphony Hall. His “Vierne2012” tour attracted international attention and critical acclaim for his performances Louis Vierne’s six organ symphonies in six major North American cities. The Los Angeles Times called his performance there “a major surprise of the summer, a true revelation.” He has been featured at numerous conventions of the American
IGuild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. In 2017 he performed the closing concert of the AGO Southeast Regional Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, where he presented the world premiere of Hannah Lash’s Ludus. In 2018, Houlihan was a featured recitalist at the AGO’s national convention in Kansas City, and presented six all-Bach lecture-recitals at the Bay Chamber Concerts Summer Series in Camden, ME.
n 2017, he released “Christopher Houlihan plays Bach” (Azica). Recorded at Trinity College, the CD was praised by The Whole Note as “playful, celebratory and sparkling with color” and by American Record Guide which stated, “there’s no denying Houlihan’s extraordinary achievement.” Houlihan has also released two CDs on the Towerhill Records label.
Christopher Houlihan is the John Rose College Organist-and-Directorship Distinguished Chair of Chapel Music at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He was previously artist-in-residence at Trinity, as well as Director of Music and Organist at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Manhattan.
In addition to his studies at Trinity College, Houlihan studied with the Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs at The Juilliard School, where he earned a master's degree, and with Jean-Baptiste Robin at the French National Regional Conservatory in Versailles.