Clay Christiansen (organist)

Clay Christiansen /krIsˈtiːænsɛn/ is an organist for the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ and for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He accompanies the Choir in Salt Lake City and when it is on tour. Christiansen gives organ recitals in the Tabernacle and the Conference Center.

Christiansen had a fascination with music from an early age. He was born in the small city of Emery Utah in 1949. He would play on the piano for hours on end. When neighbor children would come to play he would rather stay in and practice the piano. He played his first piano solo We Thank Thee oh God for a Prophet in church at the age of six. He played by ear until the age of eight when he took his first piano lessons. He was the accompanist for his church Sunday School and Priesthood services and the substitute ward organist at the age of eleven.

Christiansen has a bachelors degree from Brigham Young University and masters and Ph.D. in Music Composition from the University of Utah.

From 1972-1982 Christiansen was the organist for St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Salt Lake City. Christiansen was also organist at Congregation Kol Ami, a Jewish synagogue in Salt Lake City. From 1982 he has been one of the Tabernacle Organists.

Christiansen and his wife Diane, are the parents of 13 children. Christiansen has 47 grandchildren.

Christiansen is also a composer. He wrote the music to the hymn "In Fasting We Approach Thee". He has written a broad variety of choral, piano and organ compositions.^[1]

Sources

1. ^ "SLC AGO Super Saturday Curriculum Vitae" (pdf). The Salt Lake City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. http://www.slcago.org/SS2010%20Teacher%20Bios.pdf. Retrieved 2011 October 02. 

• "Event Announcement for Event where Christiansen Performed". http://www.lds.org/events/info/0,8197,726-1-444,00.html. ^{[not in citation given]}
• "Mormon Tabernacle Choir Biography of Clay Christiansen". http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/info/person?person_id=16. Retrieved 2011 October 02. 

Persondata
Name	Christiansen, Clay
Alternative names
Short description	Organist for the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ
Date of birth	1949
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death