David Boe
David Boe (born March 11, 1936, Duluth, Minnesota) is an organist and was head of the organ department of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he taught from 1962 to 2008. He is most notable for his work as a pedagogue, having trained a large number of organists during his time at Oberlin.
Life
Boe attended St. Olaf College during his undergraduate years, and he later studied with Arthur Poister at Syracuse University. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied with Helmut Walcha, and later with Gustav Leonhardt. Shortly after his study with Walcha, he was appointed to the organ faculty at Oberlin, from which he retired in 2008.
Boe commissioned organ-builder John Brombaugh's first major instrument, Opus 4 in Lorain, Ohio, and has always been keenly interested in historical performance and early temperaments. He was interviewed on the nationally televised program The Wind at One's Fingertips.
Since 1962 Boe has taught hundreds of organists at Oberlin, including fellow Oberlin faculty member James David Christie. He retired in May 2008 after 46 years of teaching.
Boe served as music director and organist for over 40 years at First Lutheran Church, Lorain, Ohio.
Performances
Boe rarely performs publicly now and performed less regularly than most concert organists during his time, having preferred teaching. He was signed with WindWerk Artists for many years and gave concerts in many parts of the U.S., as well as Europe.
Boe made significant appearances on two CDs: Brombaugh Opus 9, a commercial recording highlighting a new mean-tone organ by Brombaugh, and Organs of Oberlin (Gasparo), a recording of the various styles of organ at the conservatory.
External links
- Biography from the piporg-l mailing list
- Biography from Windwerks at the Wayback Machine (archived October 24, 2002)