John
W. Becker
John
W. Becker, composer, conductor and organist, is composer in residence
at First Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, PA. He is the founding director
of the Pittsburgh Compline Choir, which sings Choral Compline
every Sunday evening in Heinz Memorial Chapel on the University
of Pittsburgh, Oakland Campus. His retirement was celebrated in
May 2002.
Prior to coming to Pittsburgh he served for fourteen years on
the national staff of the Lutheran Church in America in Philadelphia
as Secretary for Church Music. He served as convener and faculty
of the Lutheran Summer Church Music Workshops held in the Virgin
Islands and on college campuses for many years throughout the
US and Canada. He also made presentations at conventions of the
Hymn Society of America and the AGO. He has been presented in
organ concerts in Germany, the US and Canada and has been heard
on Public Radio's "Pipedreams" playing the Reuter Organ
in Heinz Memorial Chapel at the University of Pittsburgh.
Mr Becker has served as Director of Music and Organist for the
Biennial Conventions of the LCA in Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Seattle,
Louisville, Toronto, Milwaukee and Columbus. In 1987 he was the
Director of Music in Columbus for the Constituting Convention
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was an active
participant in the preparation, review and introduction of the
Lutheran Book of Worship.
A recipient of the Master of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological
Seminary, School of Sacred Music, New York City, he did further
organ study with Helmut Walcha at the Hochschule fur Musik, Frankfurt
am Main, Germany. During the years he served as Director of Music
at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo, NY he founded and directed
the Lutheran Chorale of Buffalo, which presented The Bach Hour
Series of Bach Cantata Concerts with members of the Buffalo Youth
Symphony.
A Past Dean of the Buffalo Chapter, American Guild of Organists,
Mr. Becker was the General Chairman of the National Convention
of the AGO in Buffalo in 1970. His music is published by MorningStar
Music Publishers and Augsburg-Fortress. His wife, The Rev. Ruth
Bosch Becker, retired, was Lutheran Campus Pastor in Pittsburgh.
They have three grown children: Frederick, Susan and Margaret.
Choral
music by John W. Becker
