Oliver Wolcott

Oliver Wolcott is a freshman at Eastman studying Organ Performance in the studio of David Higgs.  He began studies on the piano at age eight in his hometown, Charlottesville, Virginia, with Jeanne Wonderly Jackson winning several awards culminating in the Concerto Competition of 2008-09.  His formal organ training was begun at age twelve with Barbara Moore of the University of Virginia and continued with Peggy Kelley Reinburg,member of the faculty of The Center for Sacred Music Studies of Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia. He has additionally studied on the organ with Donald Sutherland, Ken Cowan, Alan Morrison, James David Christie, David Sanger and Simon Preston

Oliver has performed throughout the eastern United States including at National City Christian Church in Washington, DC, and also at the chapel of St. John’s College, Cambridge University and at The Jack Singer Concert Hall, EPCOR Center for the Performing Arts, Calgary, Alberta. Oliver was an annual guest on WTJU’s show devoted to the pipe organ, “The King of Instruments” hosted by Michael Latsko for three years.

In 2008, Oliver played the premire performance in Charlottesville of Stephen Paulus's work "Blithely Breezing Along" comissioned for the 2008 "Organ Spectacular." He has appeared as organist in the orchestral works  "Solemn Vespers of the Confessor," by W.A. Mozart, and Benjamin Brittain's Opera "Noye's Fludde."

He is the 2009 Region III Second Place Winner in the American Guild of Organists Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists and is the first place recipient of numerous Guild sponsored scholarship competitions.

Oliver served for two years as Apprentice Organist at First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, Virginia, under Jeffery LeDuc, and he also served for one year as a conducting student of Donald G. Loach, Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Virginia, and director of music at St. Paul's Memorial Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, Virginia.