Aaron Tan
Organ
Concert organist Aaron Tan is a leading young artist in North America. He is the only person to have received first-prize in three of the most major North American organ competitions: the Canadian RCCO National Organ Competition, the AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Playing (NYACOP), and the Canadian International Organ Competition (CIOC). Originally from the Philippines and Canada, he is an organist and pianist who enjoys multi-faceted careers as a musician and a materials scientist. His primary musical tutelage has been with John Tuttle, David Palmer, Joel Hastings, Martin Jean, and David Higgs.
Aaron recently completed his doctoral degree (DMA) in organ performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and in August 2025, became Director of Music at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Huntsville, Alabama. Recently he was also appointed as an Instructor of Piano at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, as well as an Organ Instructor at Eastman School of Music. He received his MM and MMA from Yale University. Previously he has served as Organ Scholar at St. John's Episcopal Church, Detroit, Michigan, Artist in Residence at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit, Organ Scholar at the Church of the Resurrection, New York City, Director of Music at St. Alban's Catholic Church (Ordinariate; Rochester, New York), and Organist and Director of Music at the Episcopal Church of St. Luke & St. Simon Cyrene, Rochester, New York. Aaron's his first commercial recording, "Impressions" was released in 2019. His second album, "Aux étoiles", was released in October 2023, and features rarely heard post-Romantic works by Karg-Elert, Whitlock, Laurin, and Duparc, among others. He plans to release a third album later this year focusing on works by students of the Paris Conservatoire at the turn of the twentieth century.
As a scientist, Aaron holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Michigan and worked there as a postdoctoral researcher after earning his degree, studying polymer thin films.