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Erich S. Balling was appointed Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral in August, 2005 and Canon Musician in October 2006. He follows a long line of distinguished choirmasters at Christ Church beginning with Robert Quade, FRSCM, who founded the Men and Boys choir nearly fifty years ago.
Under his leadership the Boys choir and Cathedral Girls Choir has grown exponentially through an active and innovative recruiting program. In 2007 he led the combined choirs in a week long residency at Canterbury Cathedral, UK. In 2009, he led the combined choirs in a week long residency at Lincoln Cathedral. In December of 2006, he reestablished the practice of performing Handel’s Messiah at the Cathedral begun by Jeffrey Smith in 1990.
Prior to this appointment he was for 10 years Director of Music at Saint Luke’s Parish (Episcopal) in Darien, Connecticut, one of the largest Episcopal churches in the Northeast. While at Saint Luke’s he developed a large RSCM choir program for boys, girls and teens numbering over 70 voices; recorded two compact discs of sacred choral and instrumental music and led the choirs on two choral residencies at Canterbury and Saint Albans Cathedral as well as Royal Holloway University, UK. While in Connecticut he served as an adjunct faculty instructor at Fairfield University where he taught music history, theory and composition. He also served on the Board of the Fairfield County Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. For several years he served on the Diocese of Connecticut Commission for Music and Liturgy.
As an organ recitalist, he has performed in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. He holds degrees in organ, conducting and music history from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Robert Glasgow and Huw Lewis and Westminster Choir College where he was a scholarship student of William Hays. Shi-Ae Park, Assistant Cathedral Organist is currently a doctoral candidate studying with Dr. Robert Gary at the College-Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati. She earned a BM in Church Music (Organ) at the Presbyterian College & Theological Seminary in Seoul (2001) and a Masters degree in Organ from the Korean National University of the Arts (2003). She also completed the Artist Certificate program at Southern Methodist University (2006). Shi-Ae was a semi-finalist in the 2003 Dallas International Organ Competition, and the first-prize winner of the William Hall Organ Competition (San Antonio, 2005).
Kathleen A. Balling, Music Assistant, holds a music degree from Westminster Choir College in Music Education, with a concentration in Voice and Choral Conducting and has done graduate study at The Hartt School of Music in Vocal Pedagogy. She has taught music in the public schools for the last nineteen years at the elementary and secondary levels, both instrumental and choral music. In addition to her work at the Cathedral, she is currently the vocal/general music teacher at Ashland Elementary School and maintains a private piano/voice studio. Primary Choir and St. Nicholas/St. Cecilia choirs are under her direction. While in Connecticut, she served as assistant choirmaster for Saint Luke's Parish, Darien.
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