Members of the Long Beach and Orange County Chapters present various solo organ works of JSB as part of Bach-a-thon 2025.
PROGRAM
Prelude and Fugue in c minor, BWV 546
Phil Smith, Organ
O Lamm Gottes unschuldig, BWV 1085 from the Neumeister Chorales
Wie schoen leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 763
Judson Sandahl, Organ
Toccata and Fugue in d minor "The Dorian", BWV 538
Adam Boocher, Organ
Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesus Christ, BWV 639
Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 611
Matthew Cook, Organ
Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 625
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen allzugleich, BWV 609
Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 634
Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV 636
In dir ist Freude, BWV 615
Randy Woltz, Organ
Fugue on a Theme of Legrenzi, BWV 574
Nicholas Galinaitis, Organ
Philip Smith is active as a performer, as a substitute organist in Palm Springs and Los Angeles, and is organist for Congregation Har-El in Palm Desert. He was appointed Organ Conservator of Walt Disney Concert Hall in July 2004 and concluded his responsibilities in August 2019. Previous work has been at Temple Judea, Tarzana; Temple Israel of Hollywood (1998–2008); and Wilshire United Methodist Church, Los Angeles (2002-2007). In June 2015, Smith was given the title of Honorary Canon of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, Los Angeles.
Smith was featured in Jennifer Zobelein’s 2006 book A Forest of Pipes, and he released a demonstration CD on the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ with Manuel Rosales, who built the famed instrument. A recent DVD, The Walt Disney Concert Hall Organ, and an expanded 10th-anniversary edition of the book are now available at the LA Phil Store.
Whether appearing as a soloist, a member of the Price/Smith Duo for trumpet and organ, or as an accompanist for choral groups in Southern California, Smith has earned bravos worldwide. He has been the organist for the LA Phil’s annual Holiday Sing-Along since 2004. He was Dean of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (2013-16, 2018).
Raised in Dresden, Germany is an amateur Organist and Bach Enthusiast. Judson Sandahl has been learning the Organ as an Adult, having begun his journey into Pipe Organs at the age of 26. His first Organs played were in 2023 and were some small Historical Village Organs in Eastern Germany.
Nicholas Galinaitis is an acclaimed concert pianist and organist, renowned for his exceptional artistry and musical versatility. A graduate of McDaniel College, Nicholas originates from Taneytown, Maryland, and has been a prominent figure in the Los Angeles music scene since his relocation in 2020, where he is a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Nicholas's rigorous training includes advanced piano studies with Dr. David Kreider in Westminster, Maryland, and Leticia Gomez-Tagle in Vienna, Austria. His organ expertise was cultivated under the guidance of Ted Dix in Westminster, Maryland, and David Ball, the organist at Christ Cathedral. His illustrious performance career spans an impressive array of prestigious venues, including the Los Angeles Breakfast Club, the “Art For Hearts’ Sake” Concert Series in Baltimore, Christ Cathedral (formerly the Crystal Cathedral), the Cathedral of the Visitation in Lithuania, National City Christian in Washington, D.C.; he has also delivered memorable performances at various local venues all over the United States. Currently, Nicholas serves as Director of Music Ministry at Newport Harbor Lutheran Church in Newport Beach, California, and as organist at St. Casimir’s Lithuanian Parish in Los Angeles. For detailed information and to explore his upcoming concert engagements, visit nicholasgalinaitis.com.
Organist Matthew Cook plays at churches across Southern California and has gained a reputation as an adaptable and versatile musician. He graduated from Pomona College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and later earned a Master of Music in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California. He studied organ at Pomona and USC with Dr. William Peterson and Dr. Ladd Thomas, respectively. Among the churches on his roster is St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Corona Del Mar, where he is the preferred substitute for the renowned Austrian organist Lukas Hasler. Recently, he became the pianist for the choirs at El Roble Middle School and Claremont High School. Matthew is also an accomplished baritone. He studied with Professor Scott Lehmkuhl at Pomona College and Professor Thomas Michael Allen at USC. At the latter institution, Matthew presented his master’s recital by performing J.S. Bach’s Ich habe genug BWV 82 and Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Songs of Travel. In 2024, Matthew sang the role of Garibaldo in Handel’s Rodelinda with Opera Neo and the role of Jacob in The Ballad of Baby Doe with Opera Buffs. In addition, he spent the winter in Florida as an Apprentice Artist with the Sarasota Opera.
In the summer, Matthew traveled to Mainz, Germany, where he attended the Barock Vokal Akademie and worked with James Taylor and Elisabeth Scholl, among other early music specialists. Matthew lives in Claremont and continues his association with his alma mater as a member of the Pomona College Choir and Glee Club. When not singing, Matthew enjoys long road trips (he has been to 46 states), playing pickleball, and hosting his podcast, Trivia Over Tea.
Randy Wolz: An organist since the age of 14, his teachers include Richard Purvis and Olivier Latry. He has a Masters in Organ Performance from Azusa Pacific University and the Associate Certificate of the American Guild of Organists (A.A.G.O.). He is currently the organist for First Church of Christ, Scientist in Fullerton and presides over the four manual Wurlitzer playing for silent films at The Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, CA.
Adam Boocher is a math professor at the University of San Diego and is thrilled to be part of the Bachathon. He first began his organ studies on a small Flentrop instrument in Berkeley where he was a graduate student studying mathematics. Since then he has fallen in love with the instrument and has studied off and on with different teachers as his career took to Edinburgh (UK), Salt Lake City, and now to San Diego. He sings with the choir at All Souls Point Loma in San Diego and enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and going to Scrabble tournaments.