STAFF

dr. matthew provost, Artistic Director

Connecticut native Matthew N. Provost is Artistic Director and Instructor of Organ at Calvary Music School. He also serves as Organist & Choirmaster at Calvary Church, Episcopal in Stonington, CT where he leads a vibrant adult and youth music ministry, and performs regularly on Calvary’s magnificent Richards, Fowkes & Co mechanical action pipe organ. Prior to beginning his tenure at Calvary, he served as Director of Music and Worship Arts at Central Baptist Church in Norwich, CT.

While completing the Doctor of Music (DMus) degree in 2009 at the Schulich School of Music at Montreal’s McGill University, Provost served for six years as Kantor (Director of Music) at Saint John’s German Lutheran Church in Montreal, Canada. At Saint John’s he collaborated as conductor, continuo organist, and concerto soloist for numerous Bach cantatas for the Serenata at St. John’s music series, performing with musicians from the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. While at McGill he held a university lectureship teaching courses in music history, music theory, keyboard literature, and counterpoint.

Provost’s international performance and academic invitations have taken him to the historic organs and keyboard festivals of Brazil, Canada (Festival Bach de Montréal), France, Germany (Dollart Festival), Italy, The Netherlands, Spain (Simposium sobre els Orgues Històrics de Mallorca), Switzerland, and the United States.

Teaching invitations have brought him to, among other places: the McGill Summer Organ Academy (Montréal); the University of Calgary (Canada); the Semana de Teclados international organ conference in Mariana, Brazil; the Performa Clavis Internacional conference in São Paulo, Brazil; and the Curs Internacional d'Orgue of Campos, Spain.

In 1993 Provost moved to Germany to study with Prof. Dr. Harald Vogel, a legendary authority in the field of North German organ culture. Following his studies there, he accepted an appointment with the ORGANEUM in Weener, Germany; a cultural institute devoted to the music and culture of historic pipe organs. From 1998-2000 Provost led and performed for the ORGANEUM’s organ tours throughout Europe, demonstrating hundreds of historic organs for over 10,000 visitors. In 2000 Germany’s Arp-Schnitger-Society selected Provost to receive the first International Arp Schnitger Prize for his contribution to the promulgation of the legacy of northern Europe’s most significant 18th-century organ builder, Arp Schnitger.

Provost’s 2002 recording for Dabringhaus und Grimm, recently re-released, features works by Vincent Lübeck and Dietrich Buxtehude performed on the fully restored 1698 Arp Schnitger organ of Dedesdorf, Germany.

Provost’s numerous articles for Britain’s Choir & Organ magazine focus on historic organs and new organs in historical style such as the 2008 organ by Jürgen-Ahrend-Orgelbau for the University of Calgary (Canada), Taylor & Boody’s new North German-style mean-tone organ for Yale University (USA), and the exquisite new 18th-century Casparini-style research copy for Rochester’s Eastman School of Music (USA).