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Larry Visser
Larry Visser began piano studies at a very early age and later began organ study at the age of thirteen. Formal training in musical studies took place at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in music history, theory and composition. While at Calvin, he studied organ with Dr. John Hamersma and composition with Dr. John Worst. Upon graduation he was awarded the highest honor given by the Calvin College Music Department, the Anna Bruinsma Music Award. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Michigan School of Music where he holds the Master of Music degree in organ and church music and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance. His organ training was under the tutelage of Dr. James Kibbie. While at Michigan, Larry also studied harpsichord and held a graduate student teaching assistantship in music theory.
In 1994, Larry was one of four finalists at the world's most prestigious organ competition, the Grand Prix de Chartres.
A church musician since the age of fifteen, Larry has held various church positions throughout the state in Jenison, Chelsea, Plymouth, and is currently Minister of Music and Organist at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church in downtown Grand Rapids, a position he has occupied since the summer of 1999. He has given regular recitals at LaGrave and has also administered a professional compact disc recording by the various musical ensembles of the church.
Dr. Visser has recently been invited to join the adjunct organ faculty at Calvin College where he will teach private organ lessons and studio classes in the fall of 2004.
He is a member of the American Guild of Organists, has served on the board of the Grand Rapids Chapter of AGO and is also a member of the Hymn Society in North America and Canada.
Active as a composer of organ and choral music, Larry's compositions are published with GIA Publications and Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. He is represented in many volumes of Wayne Leupold's new teaching method, Discover the Organ. Recent composition projects have included five Organ Demonstrators, multi-movement pieces based on a Biblical story with narration that demonstrate the various families of organ tone to children.
Larry has toured several times with the Calvin College Capella throughout the United States and abroad. The Capella has recorded two compact disc recordings on which Larry serves as organ accompanist.
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