University Presbyterian Church - Chapel Hill, NC

THOMAS BROWN is the Minister of Music of University Presbyterian Church.  He coordinates a diverse and comprehensive music ministry, and works with the Senior Pastor and other clergy of University Church to plan and lead services of worship.  He directs the Chancel Choir and plays the Sanctuary Organ for all services. 

Thomas Brown was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and spent his boyhood among the rocks and hills of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  He is a graduate of the University of Missouri/Kansas City Conservatory of Music and is a recipient of the University’s Alumni Achievement Award.  He also holds the Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School in New York City and, while a student there, was named an Outstanding Young Artist of America by the Editors of Musical America magazine.  Mr. Brown made his critically acclaimed debut in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall as part of the prestigious Allied Arts Piano Series, whose other artists that season included Artur Rubinstein, Alfred Brendel, Alicia de Larrocha, and Vladimir Horowitz.  He was re-engaged on the spot and has since performed around the world as recitalist and as concerto soloist with orchestra, including the Jerusalem Symphony during its first tour of North America.

In addition to his duties at University Church, Thomas Brown enjoys an active and varied career as soloist, chamber musician and collaborative artist both as pianist and organist, and occasionally as harpsichordist.  He regularly participates in a variety of music festivals and chamber music events, is frequently heard as solo recitalist, and occasionally teaches and serves as an adjudicator, including having been a featured artist and juror at the Gina Bachauer International Competition in Salt Lake City.  He played his first organ recital at the age of 15 and has since appeared on many of the important organ recital venues in the United States and Canada, including regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists and The Organ Historical Society.  He was the featured soloist for the International Bamboo Organ Festival in The Philippines during one of three tours to Southeast Asia, and recorded a CD on the famous Bamboo organ there. He has a keen interest in organbuilding and design, and his articles have appeared in The American Organist, The Diapason, The Herald and The Northeast Organist magazines.  His performances have been heard on Pipedreams, National Public Radio and the CBC, and he has recorded for The Repertoire Recording Society, RBW Records, Viennola Gramophone Austria and Raven Recordings.

During his four decades as a church musician, Thomas Brown has served a variety of denominations in the mid-West, Connecticut and New York City, and he brings a broad and diverse element to his work at University Church.  His wide-ranging choral experience includes the direction of a choir of men and boys, a choral society, a variety of volunteer choirs, the formation and direction of an all-professional choir, and the establishment and nurture of several youth and children’s choirs.  Thomas Brown began his work at University Presbyterian Church in June, 2002.

BETH AUMAN VISSER has been the Director of Youth and Children’s Choirs at University Presbyterian Church since 1986.  She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and, as a student there, served as Soprano section leader for the University Church Chancel Choir.  She also holds the Master of Music degree from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

For two seasons, Ms. Visser was the Coordinator for the USO Touring Shows in Southern Germany, as well as the Director of Music and Publicity for the American Theatre in Stuttgart.  During her time in Germany, she also served as Director of Music for Robinson Barracks Chapel in Stuttgart, and was soloist with the German-American Community Chorus.

Ms. Visser has an extensive background in the musical theatre, which includes leading roles in outdoor dramas, dinner theatres, church productions, community chorus and opera theatre.  She has enjoyed a variety of educational responsibilities, encompassing elementary, middle school and high school public music as well as private vocal teaching and coaching,

Her responsibilities at University Church include the direction and development of the Youth, Junior and Children’s Choirs, and the cultivation and nourishment of music in the Church’s PreSchool.  Ms. Visser is married and has three children.