Each fall, the UT pipe organ faculty, students, and alumni host an exciting day dedicated to discovering and playing the “King of Instruments” at the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music.
Throughout the day, students will have the opportunity to play piano (or organ) pieces on all of the organs and harpsichords at UT. Students who play another instrument (violin, flute, clarinet, etc.) may also bring those instruments and experience having an organ accompaniment to their pieces.
Learn from a local organ builder, explore the instruments up close, and enjoy provided snacks and a pizza lunch. This event is open to students ages 8-18—don’t miss this chance to dive into the world of the pipe organ!
For further details, please reach out to Dr. Edie Johnson at 317-440-5795 or via email at [email protected].
Pipe Organ Encounter Day 2025 information will be provided soon!
Pipe Organ Encounter Day Schedule
Schedule for 2025 coming soon!
Faculty
Edie Johnson
Edie Johnson is the incoming Music Director/Organist at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN and a lecturer in the College of Music at University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she teaches private organ, harpsichord, and courses in organ literature and sacred music. She is also a freelance organist, chamber musician, presenter, and teacher. Edie formerly served as Organist and Music Associate at Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN and Assistant Organist/Choir Director at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Indianapolis.
At age 13, Edie began organ study with Johnny Bradburn at Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro, N.C. She completed the B. Mus. in organ, Magna cum laude, at Furman University, as a student of Charles Tompkins. She then earned both the Master and Doctor of Music degrees at Indiana University, studying with Larry Smith. Edie has also studied organ with Marilyn Keiser and harpsichord with Elizabeth Wright. Her piano study has been with Derek Parsons, David Gibson, George Kiorpes, and Alice Ann Johnson.
Edie has performed for national conventions of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Organ Historical Society, and the National General Assembly of the Disciples of Christ Church. Several of her performances have been broadcast on American Public Media’s Pipedreams. In the summer of 2011, she premiered Pamela Decker’s first concerto for organ, El Tigre, at the Southeast Region AGO convention and she was a featured performer and
presenter at the 2015 Great Lakes Regional AGO Convention in Indianapolis, IN. As a pianist, she has performed concerts of music for two pianos with Fay Adams and has also performed in chamber ensembles.
This past summer Edie served as an instructor in the Chattanooga AGO’s Pipe Organ Encounter for Adults and will do a presentation entitled “Befriending the Butterflies: Techniques to Manage Performance Anxiety for Busy Musicians” at the 2024 AGO National Convention in San Francisco.