07/16/2021
I hope you enjoy hearing the Everett Titcomb 'Toccata' on the N&S organ.
There is a YouTube link at the end of the post.
Member Spotlight: Guillermo Martinez!
Guillermo Martinez has been the organist at St. Monica Catholic Church, Dallas, TX, since October of 2009. He accompanies the St. Monica Choir in masses and rehearsals, as well as choral/instrumental performances throughout the year. In his first few years at St. Monica, he helped with the planning of the new Nichols and Simpson organ for the newly renovated sanctuary.
Mr. Martinez earned both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from Texas Christian University, where he was a student of Emmet G. Smith. His first organ teacher was Sherryl Smith Pond, previously at Sam Houston State University. Between degrees, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study organ with Johannes Geffert at the Robert Schumann Conservatory in Düsseldorf, Germany for the 1988-1989 school year. Master class studies have been with Robert Anderson, Donald Sutherland, John Weaver, Russell Saunders, Marie-Louise Jacquet-Langlais, Philippe Lefebvre, and Olivier Latry. While in graduate school, he served as Church Music Intern at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth. He has performed recitals in Texas, Oklahoma, New York, and Germany.
Mr. Martinez has been on the faculty of the Texas Christian University Music Preparatory Division since 1991, where he has taught private piano and organ. As Coordinator of Technology Resources, he has developed the music technology program for the Division. In 1994 he joined the faculty of the TCU School of Music, teaching piano and theory; during the 1995-1996 academic year, he was Interim Professor of Organ and Church Music/University Organist. He was appointed Coordinator of Class Piano in June of 2001. From fall 1997 to spring 2001, Mr. Martinez also taught piano and theory, and served as vocal and choral accompanist, for the Department of Music at Texas Wesleyan University. He is an active educator, having presented workshops in organ and music technology at local, state, and national meetings and conventions of Texas Music Educators Association, Music Teachers National Association, and the American Guild of Organists.
Guillermo enjoys photography, especially when traveling, and learning Dorico notation software as hobbies.
Click here to watch a video of Mr. Martinez playing Everett Titcomb's "Toccata" on the organ at St. Monica Catholic Church (Dallas, TX):
https://youtu.be/xJlI6-KEBn4
