Dr. Daniel Barta is Associate Professor and Director of Theory and Composition at Roberts Wesleyan College. For fourteen years, he served
as Chair of Music Theory and Composition at Philadelphia Biblical University. Dr. Barta holds the DMA, M.Mus. and B.Mus. from Temple University,
where he studied with Clifford Taylor, Maurice Wright and Matthew Greenbaum. His commissions include works that range from solo voice to large
instrumental ensemble. He particularly enjoys collaborating with artists of other disciplines. His setting of three Hans Christian Andersen stories
for chamber ensemble and narration were performed with storyteller Roger Petersen at the International Hans Christian Andersen Conference in Salt
Lake City, Utah. Recently, Emily Britton premiered his new work for horn and piano, As the Sparks Fly Upward, at the Eastman School of Music. Two of
his works for keyboard, Suite for Piano and Toccata Joyeuse (for organ), have been released on the DTR label. A Hymn Sing: Five Sacred Songs for violinist
David Kim and Variations of All Creatures of Our God and King for duo pianists Paul Jones and Samuel Hsu have been recorded and released by Paul Jones Music,
Inc. Dr. Barta is published by Concordia and Choristers Guild. He and his wife, Peggy, reside with their two children in Rochester, NY.
Dr. Roy W. Brunner is Organist of historic Park Street Church (Congregational) on the Boston Common and recently retired as Professor of Music at
Gordon College, Wenham, MA. Dr. Brunner received degrees at Houghton College (B.M.), the University of Nebraska (M.M.) and Combs College
of Music (D.M.A.). Prior to teaching at Gordon, he taught for five years at Grace University, Omaha, NE and 18 years at Philadelphia
Biblical University, Langhorne, PA. He held his first church organist post at the age of 12 and subsequent positions as
Organist/Director in United Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches. His numerous collections
of organ music have been published by H. W. Gray (a division of Warner Bros. Publications), Beckenhorst Press, Lillenas, and FJH
Music Co. Dr. Brunner is married to Norma (Udd) Brunner who also teaches music at Gordon College and together they have two married sons,
Joel and Jason. His hobbies include gardening, amateur photography and Boston Terriers.
Robert Carwithen has
had multiple careers as an organist, choral conductor,
carillonneur, church musician, composer/arranger and
performer. His undergraduate study was with Alexander
McCurdy at The Curtis Institute of Music after which
he received the M. Mus. in conducting at Westminster
Choir College. Other eminent teachers have included
Mme. Madaleine Duruflé-Chevalier, Xavier Darasse, Virgil
Fox, Vladimir Sokoloff, and André Isoir. Carwithen taught
on the faculty of Westminster for more than 45 years
and later at Philadelphia Biblical University. While
at Westminster, he served as conductor of the world-renowned
Symphonic Choir (1966-71) preparing the choir for Stokowski,
Bernstein, and Ormandy among others. As Professor of
Music he taught organ and courses in theory, improvisation,
French Romantic and French Classic organ literature.
As a church musician he held posts at First Presbyterian,
Germantown (1960-86), Wayne Presbyterian, Wayne (1986-88),
First Presbyterian, Philadelphia (1988-90) and Tenth
Presbyterian, Philadelphia (1990-97). For three years
he was the Wanamaker organist (Philadelphia, 1962-65),
and was Music Editor of The Worshipbook Hymnal for the
Presbyterian Church (USA) 1972. Carwithen has been Music
Director and recording artist for Schulmerich Carillons
and was the carillonneur for the World's Fair three
times-in Brussels, Seattle, and New York. He has served
as accompanist for various groups performing in the
Academy of Music, Philadelphia, and at Lincoln Center,
Town Hall, and Carnegie Hall, New York City.
Adam Dieffenbach holds degrees in Music Composition from Philadelphia Biblical University and Temple
University's Esther Boyer College of Music and Dance. His principal teachers include Matthew Greenbaum, Richard Brodhead, and
Daniel Barta. Dieffenbach is also an active organist. He has also served as Chapel Organist at St. Cornelius the Centurion at Valley
Forge Military Academy, a trumpeter in the 553rd Air Force Band (PA Air National Guard), and as a Chorister at Tenth Presbyterian Church.
He is an organ student of Robert Carwithen and has also studied with Christopher Garven. For samples of his work and
more information, see his website: http://www.societyofcomposers.org/user/adamf.dieffenbach.html.
Paul S. Jones, D. M. is a Canadian-American composer, conductor, pianist/organist, church musician and educator.
He earned music graduate degrees in piano and choral conducting from Indiana University where he studied with renowned pedagogue, Menahem Pressler,
of the Beaux Arts Trio. Dr. Jones has served as a church musician for 25 years in seven churches of varying denominations and as a professor at three
universities. He has appeared in concert with seven Metropolitan Opera singers and many first-tier US symphony personnel, such as David Kim, concertmaster
of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Anne Martindale Williams, principal cellist of The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Jones is the author of two books and
numerous chapters/articles on church music, has recorded 10 CDs, and has composed well over 200 works including 70 hymn tunes.
Note: if you are hosting Dr. Jones for an engagement, please contact him directly for a current bio that is suited to your context.
Evelyn R. Larter was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and studied at the Royal
Scottish Academy of Music. She won the prestigious Governor's Recital Prize for piano, and graduated with
honors in concert piano and music education. She performed with the Highlands Sinfonia, and on Scottish television.
Since moving to the United States with her husband and family in 1988, Evelyn has been active in the Philadelphia area,
performing with well-known soloists and ensembles. She was on the music staff of historic Tenth Presbyterian Church for
11 years, regularly substituting on the organ.
Evelyn became Director of Music at Deerfield Presbyterian Church, South Jersey, in September 2003, where she organizes
recitals with world class musicians. As a composer, Evelyn writes anthems for her small church choir, and instrumental
and vocal solo hymn arrangements for use as preludes and offertories. She has also arranged music for a small brass
ensemble at her church. Five of her anthems have been published by the Lorenz Corporation and two by the Saint James
Music Press. More anthems are currently awaiting publication by Lorenz, St James Music Press, Augsburg Fortress and Abingdon
Press. She recently served as Dean of the SouthWest Jersey Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Evelyn has a strong interest in maintaining the goal of excellence in worship music, and has consulted with many churches
on issues concerning the introduction of contemporary worship. She enjoys all kinds of music, and teaches many gifted students.
She is married to Rev Dr Ken Larter, the minister of Deerfield Presbyterian Church. They have four adult children, and three
grandchildren.
Peter Leibensperger is a graduate student at City University of New York, where he studies Music Theory and
is a research assistant for Joseph Straus. His analysis of Mahler's
"Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n!" was selected
in 2008 by the Music Theory Society of the Mid Atlantic Region to be presented at
the Library of Congress. He has studied piano with Maria del Pico Taylor, composition with Matthew Greenbaum, and
conducting with Paul S. Jones. He served on the music staff of Tenth Presbyterian Church for four years. His
compositions include sacred works for the Tenth Chamber Players, Westminster Brass, for David Kim's solo
album, The Lord Is My Shepherd, and for Anne Williams' CD Sacred Music for Cello. In 2007 Mr. Leibensperger conducted
Puccini's La Bohème with the Berks Opera Workshop.
Deborah Rojas received her B.S. in Bible and B.Mus. in Church Music from Philadelphia Biblical
University where she began composing under the tutelage of Daniel Barta. Robert Carwithen, Samuel Hsu,
Paul Jones, and Al Lunde have also had an impact on her musical development. She previously served on the musical
staff of Tenth Presbyterian Church, and served in various musical capacities at First Presbyterian Church in Enterprise, AL and
New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Newton, MA. Deborah currently resides in Guam, where she lives with her husband Richard,
an Air Force chaplain, and her four children. She homeschools, teaches piano, is actively involved with church music, and is an
assistant conductor to the community choir, Cantate!.
Jeremy Strong is Music Director and Organist at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Maple Shade, NJ.
A native of New Jersey, Mr. Strong spent the first 18 years of his life in Uruguay and Argentina as a child of missionary parents,
where he first took piano lessons with his mother. He later studied piano and composition at Philadelphia Biblical University,
graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance and composition, and a Bachelor of Science in Bible. In 2003,
he earned a Master's degree in composition from Temple University. For several years he was on the music staff of Tenth Presbyterian
Church, Philadelphia. He resides in New Jersey with his wife Missy, and children, Ethan, Owen, Lorelei, and Jackson. Besides being a
stay-at-home Dad, Mr. Strong teaches piano and guitar, does freelance recording and editing, and works with music notation software.
The Westminster Brass(Kenneth Laudermilch, James Hala, Dan McCartney, Thomas Elliott, and Timothy Witmer) has specialized in presenting sacred music concerts throughout
the United States and Canada since 1976. Each member brings with him years of
experience performing with such notable organizations as The Philadelphia Orchestra, the
Pittsburgh Symphony, the Delaware Symphony, and the American Christian Symphony.
Some of the members have had the privilege of working under the batons of Eugene
Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, and Wolfgang Sawallisch in such great American concert halls as
Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Members of the Westminster Brass have earned degrees from The Curtis Institute, New
England Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University, and Westminster Theological
Seminary. Their professions are as diverse as their education: church pastor and lecturer,
university music professor, high school music director, seminary professor and author, and
freelance musician and teacher.
The quintet is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is a regular part of Tenth
Presbyterian Church's music ministry. The group is heard each week heralding the start of the
international radio broadcast, The Bible Study Hour. It is also frequently heard on Family
Radio. The ensemble has long been an integral part of the Philadelphia Conference on
Reformation Theology and Ligonier Ministries Conferences.
