Founder Richard Westenburg

Richard Westenburg grew up in Minneapolis, and as a pianist won national contests. His interests switched to the organ in his teens, and after first studying at Lawrence University (B. Mus. in organ) and the University of Minnesota (M.A. in musicology and film), and then teaching in Montana, he went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger, Jean Langlais and Pierre Cochereau. Later, he enrolled at Union Theological Seminary, studying theology first, and later studying and teaching in Union’s School of Sacred Music.

In 1964, Westenburg became Director of Music at Central Presbyterian Church on Park Avenue, a post once held by Charles Ives. Later, he served as Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (10 years) and Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (15). In August, 2007, he became Director of Music of The Reformed Church of Bronxville.

He taught at Mannes (10 years), Juilliard (12), Rutgers (9), as well as shorter assignments at Yale, Notre Dame, Stetson, College Conservatory of Cincinnati, Southern Methodist, and Minnesota, and in November, 2002, he spent two weeks teaching and conducting in Seoul, Korea. Over the course of his career, he conducted the National Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the American Symphony and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and led concerts at the festivals of Caramoor, Madeira Bach, Blossom, Hawaii Bach, Williamsburg, Madeira and Aspen.

In the summer of 2002, Richard Westenburg was accorded the single honor of being invited to conduct the opening concert of the World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis, leading the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boys Choir of Harlem, and Chanticleer.

Westenburg was the subject of feature articles in Time, Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Musical America, and The Saturday Review; made several appearances on the Today show and CBS This Morning. He enjoyed baseball, synthesizers and computers, and raising his two teenage children, Mario and Nadia.

Born April 26, 1932, Richard Westenburg passed away on February 20, 2008 after a three-month bout with cancer.