- 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 theCathedral Choral Society . He is recognized internationally as a conductor and keyboard artist as well as a specialist inbaroque music , particularly the music ofJ. 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 fromThe Juilliard School . AFulbright Fellowship enabled him to spend a year in Germany doing specialized study in conducting, organ andharpsichord at theHochschule für Musik inFrankfurt 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 ClarendonUnited Methodist Church inArlington, 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 duringAdvent andEaster featuring guest soloists accompanied by full orchestra. This is believed to be one of the first and longest running Messiah-Sings presenting the completeoratorio in theWashington, 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 theWashington National Cathedral withLeonard Slatkin at the podium. He has also presented numerous soloorgan recital s, performed the complete BachGoldberg 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 , theNew York Philharmonic , the Handel Festival in Halle, the International Bach Festival inLeipzig , theAspen Music Festival , theCologne New Music Festival and the Mozart Festival in New York and Washington. During a Chinese/American Festival inTaipei ’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 conductingHandel ’sMessiah at theJohn 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
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