Organ, church music

The distinguished organist, Donald Sutherland, serves as Coordinator of the organ department at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. Known as a skilled artist, choral conductor, scholar, pianist and harpsichordist, he often refers to himself as a "musician, who happens to be an organist". He has received several recognitions such as the "Excellence in Teaching Award" by the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association, the "Distinguished Alumni Award" from Syracuse University, and was honored by Douglas Duncan, The Montgomery County Executive, for his outstanding service to Bethesda Cares for many years.

Mr. Sutherland received his B.M. and M.M. at Syracuse University where he was a student of Arthur Poister, later becoming his assistant. In 1965, after completing military service, he returned to Syracuse as a member of the School of Music faculty.

During his lengthy career, Mr. Sutherland has served as workshop leader at several AGO regional conventions, and has been an adjudicator at several competitions in Europe, Canada and the United States. He has dedicated several new instruments in this country, most recently in Virginia, as well as the new Holtkamp organ in Griswold Hall at Peabody Conservatory. The latter was repeated four times in two days in order to accomodate the crowds. Since the installation of this instrument, he has performed several solo recitals and ensemble concerts with instruments and chorus. He has also invited several distinguished European and American artists to give master classes and perform at Peabody. He recorded music written for the Millenium celebration in Times Square.

In recital, Mr. Sutherland has appeared throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has performed at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (France), the "Art of the Organ" in Vienna (Austria), and at the Bath Festival, The Walsingham Festival, the Alexandra Palace, King's College Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, the Aldeburgh Parish Church, all of which are in England. He was one of two Americans who performed at the first Soviet-American International Organ Festival in Aachen, Germany. In the mid 1990's, he performed in Canada, where he was a featured artist for the Conventions of the American Liszt Society and the "Concerts Spirituels" series at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal. He was honored by a return recital at Westminster Abbey in London, where he played an all-Liszt program for Remembrance Sunday, and was organist for the bicentenary service to honor George Peabody, founder of the Peabody Conservatory.

Mr. Sutherland is a frequent guest at numerous summer academies. Among them are the Oundle International Organ Week (UK), St. Dunstan's College conference on Sacred Music, Westminster Choir College in Princeton, and the Summer Institute of Church Music in Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Sutherland is married to the soprano, Phyllis Bryn-Julson.

Contact Mr. Sutherland