Praised by The Classical Voice of North Carolina for her “ability to couple precision with emotion … Meloan’s charm is her ability to draw in listeners … never once excluding listeners from her passion.” Organist Katherine Meloan is an artist whose various interests, expressive gifts, and eclectic repertoire enable her to contribute to the musical world with distinctive and friendly performances.
Dr. Meloan has appeared as a solo recitalist in major venues and festivals including The Cadet Chapel at The United States Military Academy (West Point, NY), The Cathedral of the Incarnation (Garden City, NY), National Cathedral (Washington D.C.), Florida International University – Wertheim Concert Hall (Miami, FL), Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church and First Centenary United Methodist Church (Chattanooga, TN), The Cathedral of Saint Phillip (Atlanta, GA) and L’Organo Piccolo Spoleto (Charleston, SC).
She has also performed in several New York City churches: Saint Thomas- Fifth Avenue, Central Synagogue, Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. She has appeared as organ soloist in the Requiem in D minor by Mozart with the Midwestern State University Choir and Symphony No. 3 by Saint-Saens with The Wichita Youth Symphony. In Europe, Katherine has performed in France on the historical organs of Clicquot (Poitiers) and Cavaillé-Coll (Epernay) and in England at Temple Church and Saint George, Hanover Square.
Katherine has an active interest in pedagogy and recruiting new organists. Her doctoral thesis developed a curriculum in which primarily pianists study organ performance in a master class setting. Many of her students hold church positions across the United States and further their organ studies in universities and conservatories. Dr. Meloan currently teaches organ at the Sacred Music Institute of America. At SMIA, she teaches organ performance to church musicians who may not have chosen to pursue a conservatory course of study. She has taught organ at Manhattan School of Music and currently assists with The American Guild of Organists, Committee on Education Programming. With the AGO, she mentors organists in their professional certification exams and in The Achievement Awards and authors articles pertaining to education.
Dr. Meloan is Associate Director of Music and Organist at First United Methodist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas, where she plays for services and accompanies all choirs. In addition to her position as organist, she oversees the Elizabeth Prothro Organ Concert Series which features the 2003 – IV/74 rank Garland organ. Previously Katherine was Director of Chapel Music/Organist at The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, New York where she directed The Mariner Chapel choir and The Mariners’ Chorus and played for all services. In addition to gracing the musical stage, Katherine is also a classical dancer. She has performed with Ballet Long Island, Staten Island Ballet, and International Folk Dance Ensemble and has performed variations from ballets such as: Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, Paquita, La Bayadere, Chopinania, Swan Lake, and numerous contemporary works. Katherine has degrees from Florida International University (magna cum laude) in piano and Manhattan School of Music (MM, DMA) in organ. Her performance has garnered the Outstanding Music Performance Award from Florida International University and the Bronson Ragan Award in outstanding organ performance from Manhattan School of Music. Katherine is represented by Concert Artist Cooperative.