b. 1956

James Biery

James Biery is Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota, a position he has held since 1996. The Cathedral is home to two Skinner organs: a 1915 E.M. Skinner in the sanctuary and a 1963 Aeolian-Skinner in the gallery. Biery is featured regularly as a performer on the Cathedral’s monthly concerts. He and his wife, Marilyn, are co-directors of the Cathedral Choir. Before moving to Minnesota, James Biery was Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut, where he performed often on the 140 rank Austin organ.

Biery was educated at Northwestern University, where he earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Organ Performance. Mr. Biery also holds the Choirmaster and Fellowship Certificates of the AGO. In 1986 he was the prize-winner for the highest score on the FAGO exam administered by the American Guild of Organists. The winner of several organ competitions, he was named Second Prize Winner in the 1980 AGO National Open Competition in Organ Playing.

Mr. Biery developed his compositional skills from two disciplines: years of study of the organ and its literature and intense scrutiny of the orchestral scores of numerous composers whose music he transcribed for organ duet and organ solo. As an organist, Biery has distinguished himself by performing much of the repertoire of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His facility at the organ combined with his demonstrated ability to perform and study a vast amount of literature has given Biery a firm basis upon which to compose for the instrument. His organ and choral compositions are published by MorningStar, Concordia, Augsburg-Fortress, GIA, and Oregon Catholic Press. He has recorded for AFKA and Naxos.

Choral music by James Biery

Organ music by James Biery