Winner of the Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition in Organ Playing 2011, Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition 2009,
West Chester (PA) University's Ninth
Annual International Organ Competition, called "our rising star" by
the Charleston, SC chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and
named a Young
Organ Virtuoso, Adam
Pajan is
beginning his doctoral work at the University of Oklahoma's American
Organ Institute as a graduate assistant and Fellow of the Graduate
College. He recently completed his Master of Music in Organ
Performance and Certificate in Church Music Studies at the Yale
University School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music. While at
Yale, he garnered top honors as the recipient of the Robert Baker
Scholarship, Julia R. Sherman Prize for "excellence in
organ playing," Richard Paul DeLong Prize for being "the student whose work best
exemplifies the dedication and the use of those special gifts required
of practicing church musicians," and was awarded the 2009-2010 Ruth and Paul
Manz Scholarship, granted through the Lutheran School of
Theology at Chicago. He graduated Magna cum laude from Furman
University in Greenville, SC in 2008 with a Bachelor of Music in Organ
Performance.
An active performer, Adam has played extensively in the Southeast, including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC; the Parish Church of St. Helena in Beaufort, SC; numerous recitals in the upstate of South Carolina; at Yale University and throughout Connecticut; featured twice on Sunday afternoon recitals at the church of St. Mary the Virgin, Times Square; on the Roy A. Johnson Memorial Concert Series at the University of Arizona in Tucson; Seattle; and in Buxtehude, Germany. He made his orchestral debut with the Furman University Symphony Orchestra in May of 2007, playing the third movement of Josef Rheinberger's Concerto No. 2 in G-minor. Pajan's primary studies have been conducted with Dr. Charles Tompkins (Furman University), Dr. Martin Jean (Yale University), and will continue with Dr. John Schwandt (OU). Further studies and masterclass coachings have been with Dame Gillian Weir, Olivier Latry, Philipe Lefebre, Jeff Brillhart, David Higgs, Todd Wilson, Pamela Decker, and others.
While studying at Furman University, Adam accompanied the two premiere choral ensembles on campus, the Furman Singers and the Furman Chamber Choir, traveling with the former on three domestic and two international tours, playing in such places as the Salzburg Dom, Karslkirche in Vienna, and the Mátyás-templom (Matthias Church) in Budapest. While at Yale, he accompanied both the Yale Schola Cantorum and Yale Glee Club in select performances and appeared as a soloist and accompanist with the orchestra, band, and choirs of Guilford High School.
In addition to solo performing, Adam has teamed with flutist Michelle Stadler to form the Melodia Duo. Together, they have concertized in South Carolina and Arizona as well as recorded and produced two CD's: "Alpha to Omega: Flute and Organ Preludes for the Church Year" (2004) and "Suite Sonatas" (2006). Their recordings have been featured on South Carolina Educational Radio and American Public Media's syndicated program "Pipedreams," heard weekly nation-wide. Both can be purchased from www.cdbaby.com or through direct e-mail contact.
Aside from organ, Adam has keen interest in choral conducting and liturgical music. He served as Principal Organist and later Organist and Choirmaster of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, SC from 2004-2008; Director of Music and Organist at Christ Episcopal Church in Guilford, CT from 2008-2010; and Co-Music Director for Berekeley Divinity School (Yale Unvieristy) for the 2009-2010 academic year. He recently began serving the congregation of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman, OK as Director of Music and Organist, where he oversees a program of two choirs (adult and youth), numerous instrumentalists, and an organ intern from OU. Pajan has studied conducting with Dr. Bingham Vick, Jr., Dr. Jeffrey Douma, Ms. Marguerite Brooks, and will continue with Dr. Richard Zielinski.
An enthusiastic teacher, Mr. Pajan's students have enjoyed great success, including admission to the Curtis Institute of Music, and winning multiple competitions and scholarships.
An active performer, Adam has played extensively in the Southeast, including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC; the Parish Church of St. Helena in Beaufort, SC; numerous recitals in the upstate of South Carolina; at Yale University and throughout Connecticut; featured twice on Sunday afternoon recitals at the church of St. Mary the Virgin, Times Square; on the Roy A. Johnson Memorial Concert Series at the University of Arizona in Tucson; Seattle; and in Buxtehude, Germany. He made his orchestral debut with the Furman University Symphony Orchestra in May of 2007, playing the third movement of Josef Rheinberger's Concerto No. 2 in G-minor. Pajan's primary studies have been conducted with Dr. Charles Tompkins (Furman University), Dr. Martin Jean (Yale University), and will continue with Dr. John Schwandt (OU). Further studies and masterclass coachings have been with Dame Gillian Weir, Olivier Latry, Philipe Lefebre, Jeff Brillhart, David Higgs, Todd Wilson, Pamela Decker, and others.
While studying at Furman University, Adam accompanied the two premiere choral ensembles on campus, the Furman Singers and the Furman Chamber Choir, traveling with the former on three domestic and two international tours, playing in such places as the Salzburg Dom, Karslkirche in Vienna, and the Mátyás-templom (Matthias Church) in Budapest. While at Yale, he accompanied both the Yale Schola Cantorum and Yale Glee Club in select performances and appeared as a soloist and accompanist with the orchestra, band, and choirs of Guilford High School.
In addition to solo performing, Adam has teamed with flutist Michelle Stadler to form the Melodia Duo. Together, they have concertized in South Carolina and Arizona as well as recorded and produced two CD's: "Alpha to Omega: Flute and Organ Preludes for the Church Year" (2004) and "Suite Sonatas" (2006). Their recordings have been featured on South Carolina Educational Radio and American Public Media's syndicated program "Pipedreams," heard weekly nation-wide. Both can be purchased from www.cdbaby.com or through direct e-mail contact.
Aside from organ, Adam has keen interest in choral conducting and liturgical music. He served as Principal Organist and later Organist and Choirmaster of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, SC from 2004-2008; Director of Music and Organist at Christ Episcopal Church in Guilford, CT from 2008-2010; and Co-Music Director for Berekeley Divinity School (Yale Unvieristy) for the 2009-2010 academic year. He recently began serving the congregation of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman, OK as Director of Music and Organist, where he oversees a program of two choirs (adult and youth), numerous instrumentalists, and an organ intern from OU. Pajan has studied conducting with Dr. Bingham Vick, Jr., Dr. Jeffrey Douma, Ms. Marguerite Brooks, and will continue with Dr. Richard Zielinski.
An enthusiastic teacher, Mr. Pajan's students have enjoyed great success, including admission to the Curtis Institute of Music, and winning multiple competitions and scholarships.