Stephen Cook

Biography

Dr. Stephen Z. Cook is an American organist and professional accompanist, recognized throughout the United States and abroad for his exceptional musicianship. As a concert organist, he has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Washington National Cathedral and twice at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, France. Alongside his love for classical music, Cook also enjoys accompanying silent films from the 1920s, from the comedies of Buster Keaton to the dramas of Cecil B. DeMille. As a professional accompanist, he has performed to critical acclaim with a wide range of singers and conductors to include Grammy-Award winners Sir David Willcocks, Maestro Robert Page, Ryan Speedo Green, and Frederick Ballentine.

As an active member and Colleague of the American Guild of Organists, Cook has contributed significantly to the organization serving as a chapter dean, competition adjudicator, workshop presenter, convention registrar, and contributing author for "The American Organist" magazine on the subject of improvisation.

He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is delighted to teach piano as an Adjunct Instructor, a Master of Music degree in organ performance and church music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance and pedagogy from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.