It is with great pleasure that we announce the calling of Luke Brennan as Principal Organist at River Road Church, beginning September 13.
Luke is an exceptional musician, equally at home as a service organist, accompanist, and solo performer. Throughout our search, we were impressed not only by his remarkable technique and musicianship, but also by the warmth, sensitivity, and confidence of his playing. At his audition, fellow organists described his playing as brilliant and his hymn accompaniment as supportive, warm, and inviting of congregational participation.
Luke also comes to us highly recommended by former colleagues and mentors, and by trusted members of Richmond’s organ community who know and love River Road’s musical traditions. Just as importantly, in getting to know him through the search process, we have found him to be a gracious, thoughtful, and engaging person who will be a welcome addition to the life of our congregation. You will find in even a brief conversation with Luke that his interests extend well beyond music—from mathematics to speaking German to soccer—and we look forward to the congregation having the opportunity to know him.
I am personally looking forward to collaborating with Luke as we continue River Road’s strong tradition of excellent and meaningful music in worship.
We are also grateful to the local organists and members of the River Road choir who offered their time, expertise, and thoughtful counsel throughout the search process. Their assistance helped us undertake this important appointment with great care.
Richard W. Robbins
Minister of Music
A Welcome from Daniel Glaze:
“I am delighted to welcome Luke Brennan to our worship staff. He is an exceptional musician with a minister’s heart—someone who desires, above all, to serve God through excellent music in the life of the Church. At his audition, Luke’s gift on the organ was evident, but what struck me most was that his playing wasn’t simply fine music; it was an invitation, leading a congregation to worship well through song. In conversation with him afterward, I found Luke to be thoughtful, deeply faithful, and eager for rich partnership in ministry. I look forward to a long and fruitful season of ministry together at River Road Church.”
About Luke Brennan
Luke Brennan most recently served as Assistant Choirmaster and Organist at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Richmond. While at Grace and Holy Trinity, Luke led the Youth Instrumental Ensemble, accompanied the choir regularly for choral anthems and hymns, and performed as organ accompanist in a large-scale Schubert mass for choir, organ, and orchestra.
He is a recent graduate of Yale University with a Master of Music in Organ Performance, formerly in the studios of Carole Terry and James O’Donnell. During his studies at Yale, he served as Organ Scholar at Christ Church, New Haven, under the tutelage of Thomas Murray and Thomas Williford, and as choral accompanist for the Yale Repertory Chorus.
In addition, he is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance, studying with Anne Laver and Nathan Laube, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Rochester. Prior to matriculating at Eastman, he studied under Christopher Betts, the former Organist of the Washington National Cathedral.
Luke has played solo works and provided organ accompaniment for choirs during tours of Europe, including at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey, Die Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, Der Großer Saal Mozarteum Salzburg, and others. He has had the good fortune to work in masterclasses with Matthias Maierhofer, Bruce Neswick, Isabelle Demers, Simon Johnson, Raúl Prieto Ramírez, and others, and he is a winner of the 2019 RCYO Potomac Chapter and Mid-Atlantic Regional Competitions.
In his free time, he enjoys learning foreign languages and playing soccer. Since moving to Richmond, he is an active member of the Liverpool FC RVA Supporters Club, November Project, and Bring It RVA.
A Note from Luke
“I am pleased to announce that I will be joining River Road Church as Principal Organist on September 13. I am honored and incredibly grateful to have been given this opportunity, and I look forward to sharing my music with you.
I want to personally thank Richard Robbins and Pastor Daniel Glaze for their support, help, and generosity throughout the application process. It has been wonderful to get to meet them, and I look forward to meeting all of you very soon and making wonderful music together.”
Luke Brennan