Dr. Stephen Price joins the University of Washington School of Music faculty in September 2023 as the inaugural Paul B. Fritts Faculty Fellow and artist-in-residence in organ performance. A native of Buffalo, New York, he comes to the UW from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he has taught organ, church music, and music theory since 2018.
Price’s appointment is made possible by the organ builder and artist Paul B. Fritts, whose extraordinary $1.5 million gift in 2021 created the Paul B. Fritts Endowed Faculty Fellowship to fund instruction from organists noted for their exceptional scholarly and professional contributions to the field (see story here).
“Stephen Price will be a wonderful addition to the School of Music faculty, and we very much look forward to welcoming him to Seattle in Autumn 2023,” says School of Music Director Joël-François Durand. “We remain deeply grateful to Paul Fritts for making possible this important appointment.”
Price completed his graduate studies at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, earning master’s and doctoral degrees under the tutelage of Janette Fishell. During his graduate studies, he garnered awards in several international competitions, including the Franz Schmidt Organ Competition (Austria), André Marchal Organ Competition (France), and the Canadian International Organ Competition (Montreal).
In addition to his teaching duties at Ball State, Price is the coordinator for the Sursa American Organ Competition, a national event established by his predecessor at Ball State, Raúl Prieto Ramírez. Additionally, he formerly served as dean of the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and is currently the organist at High Street United Methodist Church, Muncie, Indiana, where he also coordinates the church’s first organ scholar program. The Raven recording label recently released his debut album, Paris Impact Organ Suites.
“I am excited to join the School of Music at UW and very thankful for Paul Fritts’ gift,” Price says. “The music faculty embodies scholars and performing artists notably recognized within the profession, and I look forward to working with and learning from all of them.”