Don Cook

Biography

Don Cook joined the organ faculty of Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1991. In that capacity he coordinates the organ area, oversees an innovative group organ program, and serves as university carillonneur. Formerly he was carillonneur and associate organist at Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and associate organist/choirmaster at First United Methodist Church, Lubbock, Texas.

After earning Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in organ at BYU, he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance from the University of Kansas (KU). His principal organ teachers were J.J. Keeler at BYU and James Moeser at KU. Since 2002 he has directed the annual BYU Organ Workshop, which succeeded the BYU Workshop on Church Music. He appears frequently as a Guest Organist at the Tabernacle on Temple Square, and between 2014 and 2020 was AGO National Councillor for Education.

Don’s group organ responsibilities lead to the development of multimedia resources that facilitate early-level organ teaching. His OrganTutor Online Tutorial and OrganTutor Workbook have been used by well over 7,000 pianists since its creation in 1995. His Pipe Organ Stop Library is a developing online database that makes available to organists the sounds of dozens of important organs in American, Germany, and France. A special organ outreach program under his direction features traveling organ workshops, online training sessions, and distance-learning organ courses.

Don studied carillon with Albert Gerken at KU. He became a full member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) in 1984, and has performed throughout North America. Other performances include a concert tour of Holland and a performance for the Eighth International Carillon Congress in Zutphen. He served on the Board of Directors, chaired the music distribution committee for the Guild, and served on the Associate Carillonneur Examination committee. In 1994 he hosted the annual GCNA Congress at BYU.