Sunday, June 21, 2015, at 4:00 p.m.
Concert followed by light refreshments
Presenting: Ahreum Han Congdon and Dalaie Choi, organ
Hana Song, Piano
You don't have to drive to Chicago to hear Bach, Liszt, Charles-Marie Widor, Rachmaninoff, and Vierne played by interntationally known musicians. Come to hear a most wonderful free organ and piano concert on Father's Day at First Congregational Church, UCC, Moline, IL (June 21, 2015, 4:00 PM). Light refreshments follow. For more information: chuch office 309-762-0787 or web site: www.fccmoline.org.
About the musicians
Ahreum Han Congdon
Organist Ahreum Han Congdon's imaginative, powerful, and extraordinary performances have thrilled audiences throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. Ahreum was a featured soloist at the National and Regional Conventions of the American Guild of Organists held in Nashville, Tennessee in 2012, in Sarasota, Florida (2010), and in Atlanta, Georgia (2007), the Young Virtuosi Festival held at Wesleyan University, Connecticut, Colorado State University, and the White Mountain Musical Arts Bach Festival in New Hampshire. She has been asked to play at the AGO Regional Convention to be held in New Haven, Connecticut in June 2015 and International Organ Festival in Arbon, Switzerland in September 2015.
Ahreum has appeared as a solo recitalist at the Verizon Hall (Philadelphia), Longwood Gardens, (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania), and Trinity Church, Wall Street (NYC), Princeton University (New Jersey), Harvard University (Boston), Ocean Grove Auditorium (New Jersey), Spivey Hall (Morrow, Georgia), Merrill Auditorium (Portland, Maine), Overture Hall (Madison, Wisconsin), Cathedral of Christ the Light (Oakland, California), Jack Singer Hall (Calgary, Canada), Michealskirche (Leipzig, Germany), Oxford Town Hall (Oxford, United Kingdom), Nottingham Albert Concert Hall (Nottingham, UK), and Esplanade Hall in Singapore. She has been an organ soloist with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and the University of Pennsylvania Orchestra at Irvine Auditorium.
Ahreum has received top prizes from numerous competitions including the Oundle Award (United Kingdom), undergraduate division of Westminster Choir College Scholarship Competition, the Music Teachers National Association National Young Artist Performance Competition, the Albert Schweitzer organ competition, the Carlean Neihart Organ Competition, and the Edwin Seder prize at Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Her live performances have been featured on the radio show PIPEDREAMS from American Public Media.
She was born in Seoul, Korea. Her family immigrated to Atlanta, Georgia when she was sixteen. Ahreum graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Westminster Choir College where she studied with Ken Cowan. She obtained a Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music having studied with Alan Morrison. Ahreum received her Master's degree from Yale Institute of Sacred Music where she studied with Thomas Murray.
Ahreum is presently the Principal Organist and Artist-in-Residence at First Presbyterian Church in Davenport, Iowa. She is also the College Organist at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. She was on the organ faculty at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. She has served as an organist for Marquand Chapel and the Berkeley Divinity School of Yale University; Organist at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. Ahreum recently married Todd Congdon and they reside in Davenport, Iowa.
Dalaie Choi
A native of Seoul, South Korea, Dalaie Choi received her B.M. at Yonsei University, where she studied church music with a major in Choral Conducting with Haeok Eunice Bang-Kim. She also holds minors in organ and voice. Also at Yonsei University, she received her Master of Music Degree in Music History, where she studied with Sewon Hong. At the Yonsei University, she was awarded a University Fellowship for her graduate studies. She held a Teaching Assistant position in the music history department and a Research Assistant position at Yonsei Institute of Music Research.
She participated in multiple music festivals such as Oregon Bach Festival and Stuttgart Oregon Bach Festival to expand her understanding of Bach. Dalaie has been active as a choir member throughout Korea and Europe. In 2008, as a member of Concert Choir, she performed at world famous concert halls in Germany, including Kour Haus and Gewant Haus.
After moving to USA, she studied music history at Temple University in Philadelphia and then transferred to the University of Iowa. She got a master degree from the University of Iowa in 2012. In 2011, she performed at three different states, including Goshen College in Indiana, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Iowa, and Winnetka Congregational Church in Illinois. She had a great opportunity to participate in the European Organ Festival and Summer Organ Academy, so that she could share her musical interests and talents with other musicians around the world. As a part of her journey in Europe, she performed historical Santa Maria Cathedral Organ in Spain. In May 2012, she had her Organ concert at First Congregational Church in Moline, and joined in Fund Raising Concert with Quad City Brass band.
She played at a rededication of the organ recital at First Congregational Church in Moline. In addition, she was interviewed and performed on channel, KWQC news 'Fran Riley Features.' Recently, she held a Max Reger recital at the Michealskirche, Leipzig, Germany. She is invited to attend the master class at the Bach festival which will be held in Eugen, Oregon in July 2015.
Dalaie as a doctoral student, currently studies organ with Dr. Gregory Hand at the University of Iowa. She has earned her sacred music certificate.
Hana Song
Hana is an active pianist from South Korea. She has performed in a variety cities all over the world including, Saint Petersburg in Russia, Sicily in Italy. Her debut was at Seoul Arts Center when she was 15 years old for the first prize winner's concert of Seoul Youth Competition, South Korea, and most recently performed in Benaroya Hall, the largest hall in Seattle, 2013. She was awarded the "Dean's Scholarship" while she attend Indiana University Bloomington for her Master's degree, and was awarded American Dalcroze Society's Scholarship 2005, which allowed her to attend to Dalcroze Workshop in Carnegie Mellon University. She was also accepted to the Anthropology program in Yonsei University, Seoul, 2010. Now, she is working as Teaching Assistant, with the guidance of Dr. Uriel Tsachor, at the University of Iowa.
