Organ Dedication Concert featuring Will Buthod

Welcome to the Organ Dedication Concert featuring Will Buthod! Join us at St John's Episcopal Church for an unforgettable evening of music. Get ready to be mesmerized by the beautiful sounds of the newly dedicated organ, expertly played by the talented Will Buthod. Soprano soloist Maria Gikas will lend her voice, and Will will provide a special improvisation on the organ inspired by a popular Gershwin classic! This in-person event promises to be a night to remember, filled with joy, music, and community. Please stay for a reception to follow this special occasion!Biography

Will Buthod, pianist, organist, composer, and conductor, has worked in church ministry for the past 30 years. Buthod is known for employing a wide range of styles to fit any given situation, and is in demand in multiple areas, from Gospel to Salsa and Bluegrass. He has served congregations in New York, Paris, Phoenix, and Atlanta, as well as throughout Oklahoma and New Jersey.

As a performer, Buthod has won numerous competitions and awards, including the Albert Schweizer National Organ Competition, the Tulsa Young Artist Competition, and the Charlotte Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians. He has performed with or recorded for such artists as Jimmy Heath, Denyce Graves, Martina Arroyo, Ben Vereen, Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Mashonda, Maiysha, Autumn Rowe, Nolan Williams, James Abbington, Roland Carter, and André Thomas. He recorded a live album with Grammy-nominated performer Maiysha at the Blue Note jazz club in New York City. During his stint in Paris, France, Buthod was the pianist for the American Ambassador for several years, while serving as Organist/Assistant Choir Director at the American Cathedral and co-founding a touring gospel group.

Buthod’s gospel music background earned him a spot as pianist for the Harlem Gospel Choir, and he has played for such well-known preachers as Al Sharpton, Timothy Wright, James A. Forbes Jr., Johnny Ray Youngblood, and Albert Jamison, Jr. As a composer, he has composed over 300 works, from classical trios to R&B tunes, which are performed regularly throughout the country and abroad. Buthod’s knowledge and understanding of a variety of sacred music and its history has also made him a popular clinician and speaker.

Outside his role as Minister of Music at Holy Trinity, Buthod serves at Candler School of Theology (Emory University), as Director of the gospel choir, Candler Voices of Imani. He previously served as Chapel Organist and Musician/Lecturer for the Episcopal and Anglican Studies Program. He is the founder and co-director of Voices Found, a community choir focused on social justice. For 6 years, Buthod served as Music Director for the North Georgia Annual United Methodist Conference, the largest UMC conference in the United States. He was chosen as musician for several national conferences, including the Summer Institute for Global Pentecostal/Charismatic Studies, the Festival of Homiletics, the Hymn Society Annual Conference, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, and the the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly, and he regularly leads music for Episcopal Diocesan events in Atlanta.

Buthod earned his Master of Arts Degree in Music from Hunter College (New York), focusing on organ and composition. He has also studied and earned certificates/diplomas from Brooklyn College, the Paris Conservatory (CNR), and Westminster Choir College. As organist, he had the privilege to study with such

teachers as Stephen Hamilton, Pierre Pincemaille, Jean Guillou, Marie-Claire Alain, Marie Louise Langlais, and Gerre Hancock.

He lives in Tucker, GA with his wife, Verena, and their dog. When he’s not making music, he’s most likely cooking an adventurous dish or out fishing at a lake or pond.

Host or Publisher St. Johns Episcopal Church in College Park