Christa Rakich is appointed artist-in-residence at St. John’s Episcopal Church, West Hartford, Connecticut, where she will assist director of music and organist Scott Lamlein with service playing and present concerts and events featuring the church’s 1995 Austin Organs, Inc., organ of three manuals, 64 ranks. Rakich recently retired from a position as music director at St. Mark the Evangelist Church, West Hartford. She has served on the faculties of Westminster Choir College, Brandeis University, New England Conservatory, and the University of Connecticut, and as assistant university organist at Harvard University. Previous artist residencies have included the University of Pennsylvania and First Lutheran Church, Boston, Massachusetts.
As a Fulbright Scholar, Christa studied for two years with Anton Heiller at the Hochschule für Musik, Vienna, Austria. She earned bachelor’s degrees in organ and German from Oberlin College. After receipt of her master’s degree from New England Conservatory, she joined the faculty there, serving ultimately as department co-chair. With keyboardist Susan Ferré, Rakich is a founding performer of the Big Moose Bach Festival in Berlin, New Hampshire. The festival presents cantatas, chamber music, and keyboard music of Bach in rural New Hampshire each summer. As vice president of the Boston Clavichord Society, Rakich also pursues an active interest in the clavichord.
For information: www.christarakich.com and www.sjparish.net.
