Members of our Staff & Choir

Members of the Choir

Russel Oliver

Choir Director & Organist

oliverpipeorgan@yahoo.com

Russell Oliver trained at Westminister Choir College in Newark, New Jersey, Princeton, New Jersey and private studies with a multitude of individuals in New Jersey and NYC. Russell assumed the duties of organist at an Episcopal Church in Mt. Arlington, NJ becoming the youngest member to date of the American Guild of Organists. After leaving this church, Russell went on to become the organist at Grace Methodist Church in Dover, NJ and served as summer substitute at St. John's Episcopal Church also in Dover. While at Westminister Choir College, Russell became organist at Arlington Avenue Presbyterian Church in East Orange, NJ As a college student he also accompanied a choral ensemble organized by one of his Choir College Mozart's Requiem playing the organ for them at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.

For the past twenty five years he has held a number of organist or organist/choirmaster positions in churches of several denominations, including a year or more at St. Andrew's Episcopal in Newark, NJ. During two years at Bedford-Central Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, he was able to recruit a number of instrumentalists from the Juliard School, augmented with local vocal soloists and his choir performed Handel's Messiah, the lovely Requiem by Gabriel Faure', and the wonderful Creation by Hayden.

Later, while an organist/choirmaster at Church of the Redeemer (Episcopal) in Brooklyn, Russell formed and funded a medium sized chamber string orchestra named "Redeemer Arts" under a not-for-profit corporation which he created and received a NYSCA grant. He has played major concerts at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark, NJ and three solo concerts at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC.