Galen Tate, Music Director/Organist

Phone: 655-3303 x19
E-mail: music@stmdarienct.org

Galen Tate is now in his twenty-second year as organist and music director of Saint Thomas More Church. He received his B.Mus. in organ performance from the University of Arkansas and M.Mus. in organ performance from the University of Tennessee. He serves on the faculty of both the Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford) and Sacred Heart University (Fairfield) where he is also the organist/accompanist for four choral organizations and is the conductor of SHU L.O.V.E. (Ladies Only Vocal Ensemble).

Mr. Tate is a frequent guest in organ concert series throughout the country, recently performing with the United Chorale and Orchestra (Bridgeport) as soloist in Poulenc’s Organ Concerto and in solo recitals at the Cathedral of Saint Mary, San Francisco (CA), St. Mary Church, Newport (RI) and in the More Music Concert Series, which he directs at St. Thomas More Church.

As an accompanist he has enjoyed performing with numerous ensembles, including the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut, Stamford Chorale, Rockland County (New York) Choral Society, Lumina String Quartet, Sax In The City and for the Fairfield County Chorale Summer Sings. He currently serves as accompanist for the New Haven Chorale and the United Chorale (Bridgeport). The diversity of his keyboard talents has also led him to work with popular artists Joe Utterback, José Feliciano, Frank Patterson, Metropolitan Opera soprano, Betty Jones and with Broadway tenors David Gaschen and Frank Mastrone.

For a dozen years he served as choral accompanist and organist for Fairfield University, which took him to churches and concert halls in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington D.C., and abroad to England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. He has several times been a featured artist for National Pastoral Musicians Conventions, served as musical director for the New Covenant House of Hospitality in Stamford, and most recently in the annual memorial events for Voices of September 11th in New York City. As an instructor, he has taught at Norwalk Community College, Gateway Community College (New Haven) and continues to support both middle and high school music programs in concert and competitions throughout Fairfield County. Galen is a member of the American Guild of Organists and is an FAA licensed private pilot.