Norberto Guinaldo celebrated 50 years as organist of Temple Ner Tamid of Downey, California, in October 2012. A gala dinner celebration for the congregation took place, with the participation of founder members of the congregation, the present and a former rabbi, the present and a former cantor, four members of the Junior Choir from 1962–65, members of the professional quartet, former piano students, and many friends and well-wishers.
Guinaldo, who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and immigrated to the USA in 1959, is also organist at the United Methodist Church of Garden Grove, California, a position he has held for 47 years. He holds a master’s degree in composition from the University of California at Riverside and the Diplome Superieure d’Orgue from the Schola Cantorum in Paris, France, where he studied with Jean Langlais. Other teachers have included Jean Guillou and Clarence Mader. Many of Guinaldo’s compositions have been performed in regional and national AGO conventions.
