Bruce J. Barber, II, has been appointed director of music for Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Greenville, Delaware. Prior to his work at Christ Church, he served as director of cathedral music for St. James Episcopal Cathedral, Chicago, Illinois (2004–2015); as Canon Precentor and Director of Cathedral Music at the Cathedral Church of St. John, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1994–2004); and as parish musician at Christ and Holy Trinity Church, Westport, Connecticut (1984–1994). Barber becomes the fifth organist-choirmaster at Christ Church since 1890 and follows the 32-year tenure of William Owen.
An avid conductor, Barber has conducted a wide range of sacred music, orchestral literature, and concerto repertoire ranging from Bach to Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart, Brahms to Duruflé, Bernstein, and Stravinsky. As an orchestral organist, he has performed with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Symphony Orchestra, and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. During his time in Chicago, he regularly performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of such maestros as Riccardo Muti, Bernard Haitink, James Conlon, David Zinman, Helmuth Rilling, Semyon Bychkov, Charles Dutoit, and Michael Tilson Thomas.
In 2010, the Cathedral Choir of St. James Cathedral released its first recording in over 25 years under Barber’s direction—Arise, Shine! (MSR Classics). He has made two CD recordings with the musicians of St. John’s Cathedral, To the Creator of Light: Choral Music from the Cathedral Church of St. John and All This Time: Music for Advent and Christmas.
Trained as a choral and orchestral conductor, an organist, and cellist, Barber holds a bachelor of arts degree from Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida, and a master of music degree from the Yale School of Music and the Institute of Sacred Music. His primary teachers include Alexander Anderson (Rollins), Robert S. Baker, and Gerre E. Hancock (Yale).
