Andrew Unsworth
Andrew E. Unsworth, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been a Tabernacle organist since July 2007. He was selected upon the retirement of John Longhurst. He performs in recitals regularly on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, and accompanies the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir in all of their concerts, rehearsals, tours, and broadcasts. He is often featured as an organ soloist in the weekly Music and the Spoken Word broadcast. He is the 13th full-time organist on Temple Square.
Andrew was born in 1970, and was raised in Potsdam, New York, in a family of musicians. He grew up listening to and playing along with organ records. He wasn’t tall enough to reach the pedals until he was age 14, so he concentrated on playing the piano until he could switch.
He received a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance and pedagogy from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. After completing his undergraduate studies at BYU, that he faced a bit of a career crisis. He commented:
As a kid I would watch the Tabernacle organists play. I envied the instrument and I dreamed of actually someday working here on Temple Square, but there are only three full-time organists here and I figured that’s not the kind of thing you can bank your life and career on.
Realizing that there might not be any future in a career in organ performance, he decided to attend graduate school at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where he earned a PhD in music history, and prepared to teach on the university level.
Andrew has served as music director at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Durham, North Carolina, organist and assistant director of music at the Catholic Church’s Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Utah, and assistant professor of music history and organ at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. During his five-year tenure as organist and assistant director of music at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, he learned how to accompany choirs and play for large services. About playing at the Cathedral he remarked:
I really enjoyed playing at Cathedral of the Madeleine. The instrument is very nice. The acoustics of the cathedral are in some ways ideal for organ. The music that the choir does—and that the organist is expected to play—is top rate; it’s amazing.
I had some spiritual experiences at the cathedral, but I always felt a little bit torn. . .. While I admire and respect [everyone I associated with at the cathedral], I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I wanted to be able to use my talents in the service of my own religion.
He is a member of the American Guild of Organists, and was a featured soloist at the Organ Historical Society and the American Guild of Organists in 2003. In June 2010, at the University of Utah, he took the guild’s two-day exams, which test an organist’s performance abilities in transposition, improvisation, and harmonization. The exams also feature written facets, such as analysis, composition, and ear training. He passed the exams and won the Associateship certificate, awarded to the organist with the highest exam score on his or her particular certificate, and the S. Lewis Elmer Award, awarded to the person with the highest score of any of the 82 test-takers.
Andrew served a full-time two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the England London Mission. He married Alison Giauque, and they are the parents of five children.
Follow Andrew Unsworth
Recent Posts
Mormon Artists Who Have Made the Billboard Charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in Billboard magazine. Billboard biz, the online extension of the Billboard charts, provides additional weekly charts. There...
Harvey Fletcher Setting Us On The Path To Music
During the 2016 Grammy Awards held on Monday, 15 February 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, one of Provo, Utah’s very own was awarded a Grammy. Dr. Harvey Fletcher, known as the “father of stereophonic sound” was finally nationally recognized...
Genesis Gospel Choir Uses Music to Bring Souls to Christ
Yolanda Evette Adams, an American gospel singer, record producer, actress, and radio host on WBLS, said of gospel music, “There is a sound that comes from gospel music that doesn't come from anything else. It is a sound of peace. It is a sound of, 'I'm going to make...
Breathtaking Gravity Mashup
Although Amber Lynn and James Dawson did not progress further on American Idol, it does not mean that they are not super talented and still pursuing their love and passion for music! Amber has had multiple music videos come out lately, a few of them featuring her best...
Come Join the Virtual “Hallelujah Chorus”
The world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, often colloquially referred to as the MoTab Choir, was called “America’s Choir” by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning choir is comprised of 360 men and women, all of whom are members of The...
The Unforgettable Jenn Blosil
An amazing audition awed the judges during the American Idol tryouts in Philadelphia. It is American Idol's 15th and final bittersweet season!! So I am sure being able to receive a golden ticket to Hollywood is an amazing feeling, to know that you are part of the...