Scott Foppiano began his musical life very early
on. A native of Memphis, Tennesee, he began study of the organ and playing in
ehurch while in grade school. Duing his high school years, he was presented in
his first public recital. It was also during this time that he begtan regularly
playing the Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ at the Orpheum Theatere as well as the
5-manual, 115-rank W. W. Kimball pipe organ of the Memphis Municipal
Auditorium, which was designed and dedicated to organ virtuoso Charles
Courboin. The symphonic sounds of this instrument made a great impact on
Schott's playhing style and contributed much to his musical formatation.
Upon completion of high school, Scott's family relocated to North Carolina and Scott entered the North Carolina School of the Arts as a scholarship student. His formal training has brought him under the tutalage of some of the most hightly esteemed organ professors in the country, including John Hooker, Robert Stigall, John and Margaret Mueller, Donna Robertson and William Whetehead. He completed a Bachelor's and Master's degrees with a double major in organ perforemance and in voice. As his career as a concert theatre organist grew, he bagan further private study with his friend and mentor, world theatre and classical organist, Thomas Hazleton. Tom's influence further developed Scott's love of organ playing, whether in a church or a theatre setting. Most recently, he privately studied with romantic misician Robert Glasgow.
Through the years he has been invited to perform on the world's greatest instruments, including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, the Vatican in Rome, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Ra;dio City Music Hall, the Dickinson Theatre Organ Society and Shea's Center for the Performing Arts in Buffalo. He is a regualr performing artist at The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco as will at New York City 's Cathedral of St. Patrick and St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue. In January of 2000, his choir from the National Shrine of the Little Flower toured Italy where they sang liturgies in Milan, Florence, Assisi and the Solemn Latin High Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. At the culmination of this tour, they were presented in person to His Holiness Pope John Paul II.
Mr. Foppiano has served on the boards of both The American Theatre Organ Society and The American Guild of Organists and has also been a featured artist at national conventions of the ATOS. He has served notable congreations in the United States as Director of Music and maintains a busy schedule as a performing artist. Haveing once again relocated to North Carolina near his family, he is currently the Organist-Choirmaster at Plaza Presbyterian Church in his hometown of Charlotte. To date, he has completed three compact disc recordings with additional projects currently in process.
Last Update: March 17, 2002
