Dr. Sarah Simko is a concert and collaborative organist, and scholar. Upcoming season highlights include recitals at First Presbyterian Church, Grand Haven, Michigan; Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Rochester Hills, Michigan; and a special presentation of Dupré’s Chemin de la Croix at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor.
She has given recitals at notable venues including the Pipes at One series, Trinity Church, New York City; St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor; Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, Detroit; Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit; Methuen Memorial Music Hall, Methuen, Massachusetts; St. Paul’s Cathedral (Anglican), London, Ontario, Canada.
Notable recent collaborations include Duruflé’s Reqiuem, with Beyond Choir, Brandon Johnson conducting; Stainer’s Crucifixion, with the Cathedral Choir and Archdiocesan Singers, Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Horst Buchholz conducting; Handel’s Messiah, Hartford Memorial Baptist Choir, Julian Goods conducing; Diego Vega’s Sinfonía Profana, Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra Brass, Maestro Régulo Stabilito. She is a member of the Anglican Association of Musicians, and serves on the editing board of the journal. She is a long-time member of the American Guild of Organists, serving multiple chapters as Secretary.
Dr. Simko is a recipient of a Presser Foundation Graduate Award, for the purpose of creating a comprehensive set of recordings of organ music by living American female composers. The goal of this project is to expand the accessibility of a rich, and overlooked body of repertoire. More information, including purchasing information for this series of three CDs, can be found under the "Living Voices" tab on this website.
A frequent presenter and lecturer on her work with Living Voices, recent recitals have taken her to Christ Episcopal Church, Dearborn, and First Congregational Church, Owosso, Michigan. She has given lectures (in person and virtual) and lecture-recitals on her work for the Women Organists and Organ Builders of North America; Historical Keyboard Society of North America; numerous University of Michigan Organ Conferences; Grace Episcopal Church, Providence, Rhode Island; the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Guild of Organists; and the Detroit Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
While a student at the University of Michigan, Dr. Simko served as a Research Assistant for a team headed by Dr. Kibbie, Organ Department and Dr. Daniel Forger from the Department of Mathematics. This collaborative project focused on how the brain processes music, through detailed study of the Johann Sebastian Bach’s Six Sonatas (BWV 525-530). Recorded rehearsals and performances of the Sonatas were processed using big data analysis techniques. In conjunction with this work, Dr. Simko has given coaching sessions on these Sonatas. This project concluded in Summer, 2019.
She is a member of both the Diapason magazine’s “Top 20 under 30,” Class of 2017; and the Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 under 40, Class of 2018. Dr. Simko received First Prize in the Schoenstein Competition in the Art of Organ Accompaniment (2017), hosted by the University of Michigan, at First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor.
Dr. Simko currently serves the (Episcopal) Diocese of Southern Ohio, as Executive Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary, Jodi Baron. She has held many positions in leading churches and organizations in the Detroit area. Previous positions include Adjunct Faculty Instructor (organ and theory) at Madonna University, Livonia; Collaborative Pianist, Rackham Choir, Julian Goods conductor; Assistant Organist and Communications Coordinator, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit; Choral Accompanist at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor; Interim Director of Music at University Presbyterian Church, Rochester Hills; and Senior Organ Scholar at Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills. She also served Bethany Presbyterian Church, Greece, New York, as the organ scholar.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Dr. Simko completed her studies with Dr. James Kibbie and Dr. Kola Owolabi. She received her Bachelors degree from the Eastman School of Music, with Professors Nathan Laube, Edoardo Bellotti, William Porter and Hans Davidsson. She has performed in masterclasses with Dr. Marilyn Mason, Dr. David Wagner, Ken Cowan, Bruce Neswick, Olivier Latry, Vincent Dubois, and Michel Bouvard.
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