William Murphy gave an hour-long organ concert in the Mount Saint Joseph Motherhouse Chapel on Aug. 1, 2012. He performed works of German composers on the Mount’s Taylor and Boody Organ, Op. 25, at 6 p.m. The program began with a rousing rendition of “We Gather Together” and everyone joined in singing the hymn. He then played works by Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707); Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706); Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), and Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933). The latter was the closing hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God,” one of 66 chorale-improvisations by Karg-Elert and one of the most popular, partly because it demonstrates the organ at full voice. A small reception was held after the performance.
Murphy, a native of western Kentucky, is a former piano student of Ursuline Sister Mary Eileen Howard, who was on hand to introduce him and to watch his performance.
Murphy is in the master’s program for piano performance at Marshall University. He is working in the areas of accompanying and chamber music. As a graduate assistant, he is the director of the MU Choral Union, Opera Workshop pianist and coach; he accompanies students in the vocal and instrumental areas and co-teaches the class piano lab. He was a finalist for the MU Competition of Soloists to perform with the MU Orchestra in April 2012. He has also been a staff accompanist for the KY NATS state and regional competitions.
Murphy is an alumnus of Morehead State University where he received his bachelor of music degree in voice performance. He has studied in Salzburg, Austria as a student and as the accompanist for the participants as part of the KIIS program; a study abroad program from a consortium of colleges and universities in Kentucky. He is an alumnus of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and a Life Loyal Sinfonian.
In addition to his studies at MU, William is the organist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Huntington. He is also the accompanist for the West Virginia Symphony Chorus in Charleston, W.Va.
He is the son of Alan and Linda Murphy of Hawesville, Ky. His current professor of piano at Marshall is Dr. Henning Vauth. Besides Sister Mary Eileen, He was also an organ/piano student of Dr. Lleslie Petteys at MU as well as Angela Bruce and Heather Tiemann Hayden.