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The American organist and choral conductor, Douglas Keilitz, has his arliest studies with Robert Arnold and Robert K. Kennedy. He studied at the Mannes College of Music in New York City, where his teachers included William Whitehead and Richard Westenburg. More recently, he studied with Stephen Hamilton.
Over his forty-year career, Douglas Keilitz has held various church and synagogue positions throughout New-York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. For ten years (July 2003-July 2013), he was Organist and Choirmaster at St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, on Manhattan's Upper West Side, a church which worships in the Anglo-Catholic tradition and maintains an all-professional choir. Since August 2013, he he is Director of Music Ministries and Organist at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Since January 2014, he is also Director of Cape Cod Early Music Festival, a yearly two-week series of concerts in July held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Barnstable. In addition, he is Founder and Director of Joindre Choral Ensemble, New York City (since September 2012); Founder of New York Bach Artists (since September 2012). He was also Accompanist of Richmond Choral Society (2007-2013).
Douglas Keilitz is active as a recitalist, performing concerts in many of New York’s landmark churches, including St. Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, St. Mary the Virgin, the Church of the Transfiguration, and St. Paul’s Chapel. Quoting the Lehigh Valley Chapter AGO newsletter after a performance in Allentown, Pennsylvania: “Douglas Keilitz amazed the listeners with a breathtaking performance of the (Bach) Pièce d’Orgue“...and “His playing was outstanding...“ He has performed in master-classes with renowned organists Marie-Claire Alain (filmed by the American Guild of Organists as part of its “Masters Series” DVD collection), Olivier Latry, James David Christie, Charles Callahan, and Martin Jean.
An experienced choral director, Douglas Keilitz has founded several community choruses and is a former director of the Greater Trenton Choral Society (New Jersey). He is also active as an accompanist and vocal coach, and has served in that capacity for several community choruses and synagogues. He is also a composer of choral music, and his works for the synagogue have been performed at New York’s Temple Emmanu-El.
Douglas Keilitz is a member of the Executive Board of the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, previously holding the position of Registrar, and currently serving as Archivist. An elected member of the St. Wilfrid Club (New York City’s organists ‘society’), he is also a member of the Anglican Association of Musicians, the Royal College of Organists, Early Music America, and the Gregorian Society.
In addition to his musical career, Douglas Keilitz is also a pipe organ builder, restorer, technician, and curator. Having grown up on the Great South Bay, he is fond of boats and all things nautical. As the son of a machinist, he is skilled at cabinet and furniture-grade woodworking, and enjoys his automobiles and motorcycles. He currently lives in Centerville, Massachusetts. |
