Organ recital series: Kevin Vaughn
A look at Dr. Kevin Vaughn's contribution to the organ recital series at Bethel College
On February 20th, Bethel College had the pleasure of hosting the director of music and organist at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (South Bend, Indiana), Dr. Kevin Vaughn, as he performed for the college’s organ recital series. Vaughn is the second addition to this series and follows the performance from Jacob Hoffeling in November of last year.
Vaughn attended Cedarville (Ohio) University where he got his bachelor's degree in piano performance. He then went to Notre Dame to receive a master’s degree in organ performance. Vaughn is an incredibly talented organist. This was proven when he was the first person to earn a D.M.A. in organ performance from Notre Dame.
A variety of works were played during this recital, including pieces by Mendelssohn, Bach, Laurin, and more. Bethel College’s organ is designed to play baroque music particularly beautifully, lending itself greatly to the pieces by J.S. Bach, but also sounded excellent for some of the more modern pieces played by Vaughn. With the variety of pieces performed, Vaughn proved his talent on this instrument.
Vaughn now most commonly performs solo organ recitals at churches or universities in the states and around the world. Recent concert locations include universities in Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Berlin (Germany), and Toronto. To pass on his skill, Vaughn teaches organ literature to masters and doctoral students in the graduate program in sacred music at Notre Dame. He also accompanies the South Bend Chamber Singers, directed by Nancy Menk.
Dr. Kevin Vaughn proved to be a wonderful addition to the organ recital series and is an example of the talent we can witness through this event. Stay tuned for more organ performances to come in the future!