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The American organist, Joan Lippincott, is a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music and Westminster Choir College, where she was a student of Alexander McCurdy. She she also studied at Union Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary.
Joan Lippincott has been acclaimed as one of America’s outstanding organ virtuosos. She performs extensively in the USA under Karen McFarlane Artists and has toured throughout Europe and Canada. She has been a featured recitalist at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, at the Spoleto USA Festival, at The American Bach Society Biennial, at the Dublin (Ireland) International Organ Festival, and at conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, and the Music Teachers National Association. She has performed on most of the prominent organs in churches and universities throughout the USA, including Yale, Harvard, Duke, Stanford, Columbia, and Princeton. She has traveled widely in Europe, studying, playing, and performing in recital on historic and contemporary organs in Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France.
Joan Lippincott has been especially in demand for J.S. Bach recitals and classes. She was recitalist at the Alice Tully Hall J.S. Bach-Handel Tercentennial and she has performed at Bach Festivals in Arizona Bach Festival, Massachusetts (Berkshire Bach Society: Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood), Michigan, New York, Ohio (Baldwin-Wallace College Bach Festival), Oregon Bach Festival, and South Carolina. In 2001-2002 she performed a highly acclaimed series of eight J.S. Bach organ concerts on outstanding organs throughout New York City, called ‘Bach in the Big Apple’. Her playing is distinguished by rhythmic intensity, a supple technical control, and emotional intensity.
Her many recordings on the Gothic label include music of J.S. Bach, Maurice Duruflé, W.A. Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn, Widor, Olivier Alain, and Daniel Pinkham on major American organs. The most recent releases are Sinfonia (Organ Concertos and Sinfonias of J.S. Bach with instrumental ensemble) on the Paul Fritts Organ at Princeton Theological Seminary, J.S. Bach Preludes and Fugues recorded at Pacific Lutheran University, and Clavierübung III and Schübler Chorales at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Joan Lippincott presently devotes full time to concertizing and recording. She was Principal University Organist at Princeton University from 1993 to 2000, and for many years has been Professor of Organ at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. At Westminster, she was Head of the Organ Department, the largest organ department in the world, well known for the outstanding quality of work by students and faculty. She directed many European organ study tours and summer organ workshops, including the popular Organ Week for High School Students. She has served on summer faculties at the New England Conservatory of Music, University of Wisconsin, the Montreat Conference, the Evergreen Conference, and Bach Week at Columbia College. She is famous for her teachings of rhythm and touch in organ music, particularly that of J.S. Bach.
Joan Lippincott is on the Advisory Board of The American Bach Society, an honorary member of Sigma Alpha Iota, and has received the Alumni Merit Award, the Distinguished Merit Award, and an Honorary Doctorate from Westminster Choir College. |
