Gerre Hancock
Encyclopedia
Gerre Edward Hancock is an American organist
, improviser
, and composer
. Hancock is currently Professor of Organ
and Sacred Music at the University of Texas, Austin.
Dr. Hancock received his Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Texas at Austin
and his Master of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological Seminary
in New York, from which he later received the Unitas Distinguished Alumnus Award. A recipient of a Rotary Foundation Fellowship, he also studied in Paris at the Sorbonne
and during this time was a finalist at the Munich International Music Competitions.
Dr. Hancock has served as Assistant Organist at Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, New York
, Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church (now Christ Church Cathedral
) in Cincinnati, Ohio
, and Organist and Master of the Choristers at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York
.
Dr. Hancock's compositions are published by Oxford University Press
(OUP). His textbook, Improvising: How to Master the Art, also published by OUP, is studied by organists throughout the USA.
Hancock studied organ with E. William Doty, Robert Baker
, Jean Langlais
, and Marie-Claire Alain
, and improvisation with Nadia Boulanger
and Searle Wright. A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists
, Dr. Hancock has been a member of its National Council and is a founder and past president of the Association of Anglican
Musicians. He has served on the faculty of The Juilliard School in New York City and taught improvisation on a visiting basis at the Institute of Sacred Music, Yale University
in New Haven, CT, and The Eastman School of Music
in Rochester, NY.
In 1981 he was appointed a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music
and in 1995 was appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
. Hancock has received honorary Doctor of Music degrees from the Nashotah House
Seminary and The University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. In May 2004 he was awarded the Doctor of Divinity degree (Honoris causa) from The General Theological Seminary
in New York. He is listed in “Who’s Who in America,” and his biography appears in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
, 2nd edition. In 2004 he was honored in a ceremony at Lambeth Palace
in London where he was presented the Medal of the Cross of St. Augustine by the Archbishop of Canterbury
. In May 2009, Hancock was made Doctor of Music (Honoris causa) at Westminster Choir College
in Princeton, NJ. In June 2010, Dr. Hancock was presented the International Performer of the Year Award by the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. This is viewed by many as the most distinguished award that the American Guild of Organists bestows upon its colleagues.
A featured recitalist and lecturer at numerous regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and at national conventions of the Guild in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston, Washington DC, Detroit, Houston and New York City, Dr. Hancock also represented the AGO as recitalist at the Centenary Anniversary of the Royal College of Organists in London. Considered the finest organ improviser in America, Dr. Hancock has been heard in recital in many cities throughout the United States and worldwide. On occasion he performs in duo recitals with his wife, Dr. Judith Hancock.
His compositions for organ and chorus are widely performed. He has recorded for Gothic Records, Decca/Argo, Koch International and Priory Records, both as a conductor of The St. Thomas Choir and as a soloist.
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, improviser
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
, and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Hancock is currently Professor of Organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
and Sacred Music at the University of Texas, Austin.
Dr. Hancock received his Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and his Master of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
in New York, from which he later received the Unitas Distinguished Alumnus Award. A recipient of a Rotary Foundation Fellowship, he also studied in Paris at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and during this time was a finalist at the Munich International Music Competitions.
Dr. Hancock has served as Assistant Organist at Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, New York
Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, New York
St. Bartholomew's Church, commonly called St. Bart's, is a historic Episcopal parish founded in January 1835, and located on the east side of Park Avenue between 50th and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-Former structures:...
, Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church (now Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati
Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, United States.- History :Christ Church was founded in 1817 by William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States, Dr. Daniel Drake and other early settlers of Cincinnati...
) in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and Organist and Master of the Choristers at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York
St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York
Saint Thomas Church, located at the corner of 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York, New York in the United States, is an Episcopal parish church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is also known as Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue or as Saint Thomas Church in the...
.
Dr. Hancock's compositions are published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
(OUP). His textbook, Improvising: How to Master the Art, also published by OUP, is studied by organists throughout the USA.
Hancock studied organ with E. William Doty, Robert Baker
Robert Baker
Robert Baker may refer to:* Robert Baker , former American professional football player in the US and Canada* Robert Baker , British player for Yorkshire County Cricket Club...
, Jean Langlais
Jean Langlais
Jean Langlais was a French composer of modern classical music, organist, and improviser.- Biography :Jean Langlais was born in La Fontenelle , a small village near Mont St Michel, France...
, and Marie-Claire Alain
Marie-Claire Alain
Marie-Claire Alain is a French organist and organ teacher best known for her prolific recording career. She is particularly known for her ability to perform substantial works entirely from memory.-Background and education:...
, and improvisation with Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
and Searle Wright. A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists
American Guild of Organists
The American Guild of Organists, or AGO, is a national organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the U.S., headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City. It was founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization...
, Dr. Hancock has been a member of its National Council and is a founder and past president of the Association of Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
Musicians. He has served on the faculty of The Juilliard School in New York City and taught improvisation on a visiting basis at the Institute of Sacred Music, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in New Haven, CT, and The Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
in Rochester, NY.
In 1981 he was appointed a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music
Royal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
and in 1995 was appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
. Hancock has received honorary Doctor of Music degrees from the Nashotah House
Nashotah House
Nashotah House is an Anglo-Catholic seminary of the Episcopal Church located in Nashotah, Wisconsin, approximately 30 miles from Milwaukee, in the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. The seminary opened its doors in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847...
Seminary and The University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. In May 2004 he was awarded the Doctor of Divinity degree (Honoris causa) from The General Theological Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
in New York. He is listed in “Who’s Who in America,” and his biography appears in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, it is the largest single reference work on Western music. The dictionary has gone through several editions since the 19th century...
, 2nd edition. In 2004 he was honored in a ceremony at Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
in London where he was presented the Medal of the Cross of St. Augustine by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. In May 2009, Hancock was made Doctor of Music (Honoris causa) at Westminster Choir College
Westminster Choir College
Westminster Choir College is a residential college of music, part of Rider University, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.Westminster Choir College educates men and women at the undergraduate and graduate levels for musical careers in music education, voice performance, piano...
in Princeton, NJ. In June 2010, Dr. Hancock was presented the International Performer of the Year Award by the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. This is viewed by many as the most distinguished award that the American Guild of Organists bestows upon its colleagues.
A featured recitalist and lecturer at numerous regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and at national conventions of the Guild in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston, Washington DC, Detroit, Houston and New York City, Dr. Hancock also represented the AGO as recitalist at the Centenary Anniversary of the Royal College of Organists in London. Considered the finest organ improviser in America, Dr. Hancock has been heard in recital in many cities throughout the United States and worldwide. On occasion he performs in duo recitals with his wife, Dr. Judith Hancock.
His compositions for organ and chorus are widely performed. He has recorded for Gothic Records, Decca/Argo, Koch International and Priory Records, both as a conductor of The St. Thomas Choir and as a soloist.
External links
- Publicity site at Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc.
- Faculty page at the University of Texas at Austin