PITTSTON – On Sunday, December 10 at 3:00 p.m., the parishes of St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph Marello in Pittston will present “A Christmas Celebration,” a fun, family-friendly Christmas organ concert with guest organist Greg Zelek, principal organist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin.
The concert will take place at St. John the Evangelist Church, 35 William Street in Pittston, and will feature festive organ music for the Christmas season and the singing of Christmas carols accompanied by Greg on the church’s recently refurbished 1930 Kilgen organ.
Praised as “extraordinary in the classical music world” (Jon Hornbacher, PBS Wisconsin Life) and a “musical star” (Bill Wineke, Channel 3000), Greg Zelek is the Principal Organist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Curator of the Overture Concert Organ, where he oversees all of the MSO’s organ programming. Since September 2017, Greg has proudly held the Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curatorship.
In 2016, Greg was chosen by The Diapason magazine as one of the top “20 Under 30” organists, a feature which selects the most successful young artists in the field. He was the First Prize winner in the 2012 Rodgers North American Classical Organ Competition, 2012 West Chester University Organ Competition, and 2010 East Carolina University Organ Competition, as well as the Audience Prize winner of the 2016 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. A recipient of the inaugural Kovner Fellowship, Greg received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, as well as an Artist Diploma, from the Juilliard School as a student of Paul Jacobs.
For more information about the concert, please contact Saint John’s organist and director of music, Mike Sowa, at the parish office: 570-654-0053.