David Craighead (organist) facts for kids

David Craighead (born January 24, 1924 – died March 26, 2012) was a very famous American organist. An organist is someone who plays the organ, a large musical instrument that makes sound using air through pipes. Craighead was also a respected music professor.

David Craighead's Early Life and Training

David Craighead was born in a town called Strasburg, Pennsylvania. He loved music from a young age. He went to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is a very special music school. There, he studied with a great teacher named Alexander McCurdy. David earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 1946. While at Curtis, he met Marian Reiff, who also studied with McCurdy. They got married in 1948.

A Long Career in Music

From 1955 until he retired in 1992, David Craighead worked at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He was a professor there, teaching students how to play the organ. He also led the organ department. This means he was in charge of all the organ studies at the school.

Craighead was also the organist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Rochester. He played the organ for church services for 48 years! That's a very long time.

In 1968, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Lebanon Valley College. This is a special award given to people who have achieved great things, even if they didn't study for that specific degree there.

Amazing Performances and Awards

David Craighead played music by many famous composers. He recorded works by Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck, Felix Mendelssohn, and Olivier Messiaen. He also recorded music by more modern composers like Samuel Adler and William Albright.

He was a featured performer at many big events for organists. These included national conventions and international congresses of the American Guild of Organists. In 1983, he was named the "International Performer of the Year" by the New York City chapter of this group. He was also the main organist at a special festival for modern organ music in 1975.

David Craighead received many honors. He was an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, a respected group in England. He was also the first person to win Eastman's Eisenhart Award for Teaching Excellence. This award recognized how well he taught his students. In 2008, the Eastman School of Music honored him and another organ professor, Russell Saunders. They named a special pipe organ at Christ Church the "Craighead-Saunders pipe organ."

Later Life

David Craighead passed away on March 26, 2012, at the age of 88. He died in his home in Rochester, New York. He was survived by his daughter, Betsy, and his son, Jim.