CLEARFIELD – The staff and volunteers at the Clearfield Presbyterian Church are excited to be hosting an organ recital on Saturday, June 22 at 7 p.m. in the church’s sanctuary. The 1967 Moller Pipe Organ will be played by up-and-coming organist, Alex Ashman.
A native of Mount Union, Pa., Ashman currently holds the director of music position at the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pa.
Upon receiving his undergraduate degree in music education at Messiah College in 2017, he entered the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University to study with Renée Anne Louprette, where he graduated in 2019 with a Master of Music degree in organ performance.
In addition to his graduate studies, Ashman served as director of music at St. Saviour Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., in conjunction with serving as the assistant director of liturgical music at Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y.
He also was a rehearsal pianist with the American Repertory Ballet and the Princeton Ballet School, located in Princeton, N.J.
Ashman’s musical endeavors have brought him to perform at notable venues such as St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the Church of St. Agnus in Rome, Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, various churches in the New York City metro area and the Forum in Harrisburg.
In collaboration with famed composer Joseph Martin, Ashman has performed at Mount Gretna for their Summer Tabernacle Concert Series.
Private teachers include: Renée Anne Louprette, organ; Dr. Rebecca Cypess, harpsichord; Dr. Shawn Gingrich, organ; Dr. Patrice Ewoldt, piano; Linda Tedford, conducting; and Beverly Tilson, piano.
He’s a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education.
Ashman first came to Clearfield in the spring of 2018 to serve as organist for the Clearfield Choral Society’s performance of Handel’s Messiah. He is eagerly waiting to return to Clearfield.
The recital is free to attend, with a free will offering being collected. A light reception will follow in the church’s garden, weather permitting.
The Clearfield Presbyterian Church is located at 119 N. Second St., in downtown Clearfield. For more information, call the church office at 814- 765-3081.