In recent years,

Mr. Cowan has quickly become one of the most sought-after young organists

in North America. He has already performed solo recitals across the United

States and Canada, and has been featured at conventions of the American

Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, and the Royal Canadian

College of Organists.

Cowan has won

numerous awards, including first prizes at the Royal Canadian College

of Organists National Competition and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music

National Competition. Currently Cowan serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor

of Organ at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, and is the Associate

Organist and Artist-in- Residence at Saint Bartholomew's Church, in New

York City.

A native of

Thorold, Ontario, Canada, Cowan received the Master's degree and Artist

Diploma from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, studying organ with Thomas

Murray. Prior to attending Yale, he graduated with a Bachelor of Music

degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied

with John Weaver. As a boy, Mr. Cowan first took organ lessons from his

father, organist David Cowan, then during his high school years he studied

with James Bigham in Buffalo, NY. Previous positions have included

Assistant Organist

posts at St. James Episcopal Church and the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

in New York City, and assisting organist at Saint Clement's Church in

Philadelphia. He has also been on the roster of Associate Organists for

the famous Wanamaker Grand Court organ in Philadelphia.

In 1997, Cowan

completed a compact disc recording of the Historic 1926 Austin organ in

Irvine Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and selections

from that recording have been featured on the National Public Radio program

Pipedreams.

His recording

of the historic Ernest M. Skinner organ at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian

Church, Detroit, Michigan and the inaugural recording of the new Austin

organ at St. Mary's college, Moraga, California are currently available

on the JAV label. In April 1999, he joined organist Justin Bischof in

the world premiere recording of American composer Aaron Miller's Double

Concerto for organ, recorded with the Zurich Symphony Orchestra on the

Kleuker organ in the Tonhalle, Zurich, Switzerland. His most recent release

on the JAV label is a disc of Organ Favorites performed on the fully restored

1930 Skinner organ at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, Penn.

Ken Cowan performs

at Clayton State's Spivey Hall on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8:15 p.m. Tickets

for this performance are $25.

To purchase

tickets, phone the Spivey Hall Ticket Office at 770- 961-3683.

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