For me, music is a living language of emotion, faith, and community. Whether at the console of a pipe organ, accompanying a singer, or composing a new piece, I aim to create moments that move people—moments that resonate long after the final chord fades. I’m drawn to the organ not only for its grandeur and complexity but for its ability to express the deepest shades of the human spirit. Through performance, teaching, and composition, I strive to keep this instrument alive in today’s world—inviting listeners to experience its power, color, and beauty in fresh and meaningful ways.

Organist Carillonneur Conductor Music Director

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Biography

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Hunter Peterson is an organist, pianist, composer, and conductor dedicated to creating immersive and emotionally resonant musical experiences. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Organ Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studies organ with Todd Wilson and piano with Gerardo Teissonnière.

Hunter serves as Director of Music and Organist at Trinity United Church of Christ in Wadsworth, Ohio, where he directs the adult vocal and handbell choirs as well as a children’s choir. A passionate collaborator, he regularly performs with instrumentalists and vocalists and has served as a collaborative pianist at Ashland University.

A prize-winning performer, Hunter earned first place in the 2023 Concerto and Aria Competition at Westminster College for his performance of Francis Poulenc’s Concerto in G Minor for Organ, Strings, and Timpani. His teachers have included Paula Kubik, Kate Pearson, Ron McEntire, and Dr. Nancy DeSalvo (piano pedagogy). He has also studied voice with Susan Foster and William Ambert, conducting with Dr. Ryan Keeling and Dr. R. Tad Greig, and carillon with Paula Kubik at the Duff-Armington Memorial Carillon.

In addition to his work as a performer and church musician, Hunter is passionate about music education and movement-based learning. He hasworked with both young students and collegiate-level musicians, using kinesthetic approaches to develop rhythm, coordination, and musical expression.

As a composer, Hunter studied with Dr. Daniel Perttu and writes music that blends emotional depth with rich harmonic color. His works include A Clear Midnight for a cappella choir, Soaring Free for horn and piano, and Mass for the Lost Children for orchestra and choir—a large-scale work honoring lives lost to gun violence in schools. He has also composed original scores for theatrical productions at Westminster College, where his creative voice was shaped through a deep engagement with text, drama, and sound.

Hunter’s conducting experience includes leading performances of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, and the U.K. premiere of Chris Massa’s Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night from An American Requiem.

A native of Pennsylvania, Hunter has served as Student Organist at Westminster College and Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church in Warren, where he founded the concert series Concerts Around the Casavant, celebrating the church’s historic 1956 Casavant Frères organ (Op. 2351). He has also taught organ and piano at the Warren County Summer Music School.

Hunter is deeply committed to the continued vitality of the organ through performance, education, and new composition. He strives to make every performance an immersive and transformative experience—one that connects audiences to the spiritual and emotional power of sound.

He holds a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance with a concentration in Composition from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

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