Andrew Schaeffer, organ

Andrew Schaeffer began organ study with David Christiansen when he was 11 years old. He received a Bachelor of Arts in church music from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, where he was a pupil of John Ferguson. He also holds a Master of Music from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where he studied with organ performance with Thomas Murray and improvisation with Jeffrey Brillhart. He is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Oklahoma, where he studies organ with John Schwandt and choral conducting with Richard Zielinski. His dissertation, “The Scottish Rite Pipe Organ in the United States from 1900-1930,” will examine the role of the pipe organ in American freemasonry in the context of the pipe organ boom of the early 20th century.

Schaeffer was director of music and organist at the 2,700-member First United Methodist Church of Edmond, Oklahoma (2014-2018). In January 2018, he was also appointed editor-at-large of The Diapason. In this position, he assists with editing, proofreading, writing and digital media for this important organ journal.

In December 2018, Schaeffer was appointed director of music and organist at Luther Memorial Church in Madison, Wisconsin. He also participates in the Just Bach Madison concert series.