Role

:

Conductor  

Birth

:

August 26, 1960

Period

:

Romantic

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

Kent Tritle is a renowned American conductor, organist, and chorus master who has made a significant contribution to the world of classical music. He was born on September 1, 1951, in Port Angeles, Washington, and grew up in a musical family. His father was a church organist, and his mother was a pianist and singer. Tritle started playing the piano at the age of four and began studying the organ at the age of ten. Tritle received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Redlands in California, where he studied organ with William Peterson and conducting with Jeffrey Rickard. He then went on to earn his Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied organ with Russell Saunders and conducting with Donald Neuen. Tritle's career as a conductor began in 1985 when he was appointed the music director of the Greenwich Village Singers in New York City. He then went on to become the music director of the New York Treble Singers, the Oratorio Society of Queens, and the Central City Chorus. In 1996, he was appointed the director of choral activities at the Manhattan School of Music, where he still teaches today. One of Tritle's most significant accomplishments was his appointment as the director of music and organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City in 1996. The Cathedral is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world and has a rich musical tradition. Tritle was responsible for overseeing all of the music at the Cathedral, including the choir, the organ, and the concert series. Under Tritle's leadership, the music program at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine flourished. He expanded the choir to include both professional singers and volunteers, and he introduced a wide range of music, from Gregorian chant to contemporary works. He also oversaw the restoration of the Cathedral's Great Organ, which had been damaged in a fire in 2001. Tritle has conducted many of the world's leading orchestras and choirs, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted at many of the world's leading concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Royal Albert Hall. Tritle has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 2011, he was awarded the Ditson Conductor's Award, which is given annually to a conductor who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of American music. He has also received the American Guild of Organists' Distinguished Artist Award, the Yale School of Music's Alumni Association Award, and the University of Redlands' Distinguished Alumni Award. Tritle is also a prolific recording artist. He has recorded over 20 CDs, including works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Brahms. His recording of Handel's Messiah with the Trinity Choir and the Rebel Baroque Orchestra was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2010. In addition to his work as a conductor and organist, Tritle is also a respected educator. He has taught at the Manhattan School of Music since 1996 and has also taught at the Juilliard School, the Yale School of Music, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He is known for his passionate and inspiring teaching style, and many of his students have gone on to successful careers in music.

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