J. Reilly Lewis

J. Reilly Lewis, a native of Washington, D.C., is the founding conductor of the Washington Bach Consort and the music director of the Cathedral Choral Society. He is recognized internationally as a conductor and keyboard artist as well as a specialist in baroque music, particularly the music of J. S. Bach.

Education and career

Born in 1944, he received his bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and his master’s and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School. A Fulbright Fellowship enabled him to spend a year in Germany doing specialized study in conducting, organ and harpsichord at the Hochschule für Musik in Frankfurt am Main. Several years later, he spent a summer in France studying with the legendary composition teacher, Nadia Boulanger.

Dr. Lewis has served as organist and choirmaster at Clarendon United Methodist Church in Arlington, Virginia since 1971 where, in addition to leading the adult choir, he developed a youth music program both chorally and instrumentally. A feature of his ministry at Clarendon has been the semi-annual Messiah-Sing presentations during Advent and Easter featuring guest soloists accompanied by full orchestra. This is believed to be one of the first and longest running Messiah-Sings presenting the complete oratorio in the Washington, D.C. areaFact|date=July 2008.

Live performances

Over the years, Lewis has performed with many distinguished choruses and orchestras as well as in prominent chamber ensembles. In November 2005, he performed Samuel Barber’s "Toccata Festiva" for the second time in the Washington National Cathedral with Leonard Slatkin at the podium. He has also presented numerous solo organ recitals, performed the complete Bach Goldberg Variations in recital on multiple occasions and has frequently been a featured organ soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra.

His performing and conducting career has included appearances with the Minnesota Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Handel Festival in Halle, the International Bach Festival in Leipzig, the Aspen Music Festival, the Cologne New Music Festival and the Mozart Festival in New York and Washington. During a Chinese/American Festival in Taipei’s main concert hall, he played the organ and later conducted the orchestra and chorus in various 20th century works including a world premier by the young Chinese composer, Gordon Shi-Wen Chin. He made his National Symphony Orchestra debut in December 2002, guest conducting Handel’s Messiah at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Recordings

There are currently about ten recordings on the market that Dr. Lewis has directed with either the Cathedral Choral Society or the Washington Bach Consort.

Honors and awards

He has received many honors and awards including the Paul Hume Award, presented by the Levine School of Music, for outstanding commitment to enriching the cultural life of Washington. His work with children and youth includes the education and outreach programs of both the Cathedral Choral Society and the Washington Bach Consort. In April 2004, Dr. Lewis received the "Distinguished Washingtonian Award" presented by the University Club of Washington, D.C. in honor of its centennial. In January 2006, the "Washingtonian" magazine named Dr. Lewis as a 2005 Washingtonian of the Year. [ "Washingtonians of the Year 2005", Washingtonian, Jan 1 2006 Leslie Milk & Ellen Ryan] .

References