“Musical mastery allied to technical fluency and impeccable taste,” according to head juror Simon Johnson, compelled the jury of the 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition to award Bryan Anderson the $40,000 Pierre S. DuPont Prize (the largest cash prize of any competitive organ event). The Diapason, which named Bryan to its “20 under 30” Class of 2017, has called his playing “brilliant;” Classical Voice of North Carolina described his playing as “simply first class.” 

In the 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, Bryan also received the Philadelphia AGO Chapter Prize for the best performance of a prescribed work by the judges. He took prizes at the 2021 Canadian International Organ Competition and the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, and is a past first-prize winner of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition. He has performed at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. Bryan’s recordings have been featured numerous times on American Public Media’s Pipedreams, and he appeared on the album Pipedreams Premieres, vol. 3, performing music of Henry Martin alongside Isabelle Demers, Stephen Tharp, and Ken Cowan.  

Solo performances in the 2024-2025 season include recitals at the Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest; the Cincinnati Museum Center; the Chapel of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio; and at the East Texas Organ Festival. Past solo performances have included venues such as Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia; Atlanta’s Spivey Hall; the Kennedy Center; Rice University; Loyola University; Verizon Hall in Philadelphia; the Maison Symphonique in Montreal; Spreckels Organ Pavilion in San Diego’s Balboa Park; St. James Cathedral in Seattle; and the Wanamaker Organ in Macy’s in Philadelphia, which is the largest functional musical instrument in the world.

As an ensemble musician, Bryan serves as organist for Harmonia Stellarum Houston, an early-music ensemble specializing in 17th-century Italian repertoire. He is also a roster harpsichordist with Mercury Chamber Orchestra, and has performed with Houston Grand Opera, the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra, and the Houston Brass Band. He will appear this season as a soloist with the New Texas Sinfonia, and serves as the concert accompanist for the Houston Children’s Chorus. Bryan also performs alongside Dr. Yuri McCoy in performances as an organ duo.

Bryan has served as Director of Music at Saint Thomas’ Episcopal Church and School since 2018, where he oversees 8 sung services each week and trains choirs from 3rd grade through adults. Bryan also served for years as the Preparatory Chorus director for Houston Children’s Chorus, and was previously employed at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston; Wells Cathedral in Somerset, England; and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Tenth Presbyterian Church, both in Philadelphia.

Bryan completed a master’s degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, studying with Ken Cowan. He is also a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he received his bachelor’s degree in organ performance with Alan Morrison, as well as an Artist Diploma in harpsichord. Previous training was with Sarah Martin on organ and Jeannine Morrison on piano.

Bryan Anderson, as part of his Longwood prize, is represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.