St. Paul's Episcopal Church

A native of Ohio, Christopher L. Koon has been serving churches as organist and conductor in the state for many years. From 2003-2008 he was the associate musician at Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati. Since 2010 he has been the regular organist at Rockdale Temple and substitute organist at Isaac M. Wise Center and the historic Plum Street Temple. He has accompanied choirs at CCM, Knox Presbyterian Church, Indian-Hill Episcopal Presbyterian Church, The Northern Kentucky Community Choir, and St. Catharine Church in Westwood. He has performed with members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Opera, mostly recently in their concert production, “Opera Goes to Temple”.

In August 2012 he accepted a new position as Director of Music at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newport, Kentucky. He is on the faculty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he serves as Organ & Piano Instructor.

Before moving to Cincinnati he served as Director of Music and Organist at Monroe Street United Methodist Church in Toledo. He was the organist with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra during this time. Growing up near Athens, Ohio, he attended Ohio University earning the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Music degrees. He also holds the Certificate in Organ and Church Music from the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. He has completed all course work for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory Of Music.

His principal organ teachers were the late Prof. Eugene H. Wickstrom, Dr. H. Joseph Butler, professors of organ at Ohio University, and Dr. Larry Smith, retired professor of organ at Indiana University. He also studied church music with Dr. Marilyn Keiser at Indiana. For most of his doctoral work he studied with Dr. Roberta Gary (retired, College-Conservatory of Music) and will now study with Dr. Michael Unger, newly appointed organ-harpsichord professor.

In addition to his organ studies at Ohio University, Mr. Koon studied classical saxophone, performing with the Ohio University Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Saxophone Chamber Ensemble, and the Jazz I ensemble. This summer he completed his thirty-fifth year in the Ohio University-Communiversity Concert Band where he has been first chair saxophone for numerous years.

He also plays the Native American flute.