zoom_in Click to enlarge

Alexander McCurdy

▲ ▼

description Alexander McCurdy Overview

Alexander McCurdy (1905–1998) was an American concert organist and music educator. He served as a professor of organ at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, where he mentored numerous students who would go on to become church musicians and performers. McCurdy was widely recognized for his technical mastery of the instrument and his extensive recital tours across the United States.

help Alexander McCurdy FAQ

Who was Alexander McCurdy?

Alexander McCurdy was an American concert organist, choirmaster, and teacher born in 1905. He became one of the major American organ pedagogues of the twentieth century and held important positions at Curtis and Westminster.

What was McCurdy's role at Westminster Choir College?

McCurdy led the organ department at Westminster Choir College in Princeton from 1940 to 1965. He trained generations of organists and church musicians during the period when Westminster was building a major organ and sacred-music program.

What did Alexander McCurdy do at the Curtis Institute of Music?

He headed Curtis's organ department from 1935 to 1972. His teaching at Curtis and Westminster made him an influential mentor to professional performers, recitalists, and church musicians.

Why is Alexander McCurdy important to organ history?

His importance comes less from a single famous recording than from the breadth of his teaching and concert career. He helped establish American organ education as a serious professional field through long tenures at Curtis and Westminster.