"Organ phenom who has already been called one of the brightest stars in the new generation of American organists." (Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com)

"The playing of the revered repertoire on this recording is that of a mature artist who possesses a surefire technique that is never self-serving, but rather represents the music in rarefied, Bachian clarity. That Christopher Houlihan was a mere lad of 19 when he made this recording makes the above statement seem all the more remarkable. Mr. Houlihan's great talent and popularity amongorganists and non-organists alike has won him the adulation of his cadre of 'Houli Fans"....played with gusto, precision, clear phrasing, rhythmic control, and fine attention to detail....This kind of elegant playing reveals facets of this music that are often lost...Clearly, Christopher Houlihan is a major talent whose star is destined to brightly shine over the horizon of the years ahead....enjoy it for the sheer joy of great music making."
(The American Organist, New York)

"Clearly a talented young player, and one admires his controlled tempi allowing the music to speak clearly....flair and polish...some fine playing with stylish touches of registration and rubato."
(Choir & Organ, London)

"Called 'one of the brightest stars in the new generation of American organists,' Christopher Houlihan exceeded the hype and gave a stunning, virtuosic concert in Hawaii. I'm absolutely breathless after his incredible recital! I really enjoyed meeting Christopher and was blown over by his playing. He is so very talented and such a nice person besides." (Katherine Crosier, AGO, Honolulu, presenter)

"Louis Vierne once observed that the high calling of the organist is to move the heart. How proud Vierne would be of Christopher Houlihan." (Fr. John J. O'Hara, Staten Island NY, presenter)

"Christopher Houlihan was a tremendous success! A great hit...played with great flair, fire, and finesse. Everyone was very impressed with his command of the pipe organ and his friendly connection with the audience." (James Klein, American Lutheran Church, Prescott AZ, presenter)

"Houlihan has rekindled excitement about the age-old instrument among people of all ages....[He] has awed audiences here and abroad as one of the brightest stars in the new generation of American concert organists...I predict he will be one of the major performers of the 21st century."
(The Catholic Observer, Springfield MA)

"Christopher played brilliantly...The audience immediately responded with a standing ovation (an unusual occurrence here in Los Angeles). His playing exhibited supreme musicianship and expressivity beautifully balanced within a controlled sense of timing and impeccable technique. His exuberance for every note of music was a joy to behold from beginning to end." (James Buonemani, St. James Church, Los Angeles CA, presenter)

"Our audience has heard the best and the brightest of established and rising stars and our ears have been set to the new gold standard in American organ performance. Our expectations for Christopher Houlihan were more than met, and he played his way into that august pantheon leaving no doubt about his place there. With that exciting beginning we can only expect ever greater things from him, and we look forward to hearing his in the future." (Ken Karadin, Christ Church, Pensacola FL, presenter)

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In rehearsal with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.


Christopher Houlihan

concert organist

Christopher Houlihan is one of the brightest stars in the new generation of American organists and was booked to perform from coast to coast during his debut season under professional representation.
      During his senior year of college he made his orchestral debut with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra sharing the soloist spotlight with violinist Joshua Bell (Houlihan has "the charisma and energy of a major soloist" and "strong international potential" wrote the critic of The Hartford Courant).
       His debut compact disc on the Towerhill label was released in 2007. His second CD was released on Towerhill in May 2010.
      He earned the "Prix de Perfectionnement" (equivalent to a university artist's diploma in the US) from the French National Regional Conservatory in Versailles while still an undergraduate. During his studies in Versailles under Jean-Baptiste Robin, he also won "Le Prix des Amis de l'orgue de Versailles." He performed a benefit concert in Auxerre for research into Lou Gehrig's disease at the invitation of the Auxerre Rotary Club, among other recitals while in France as a student.
      During his full year of studies in France, Christopher also served as Assistant Musician at the American Cathedral in Paris. On a Sunday he was scheduled both to play the organ and conduct both choirs for the services, the cathedral received a few hours advance notice that the President and First Lady of the United States, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bush, would attend. The Dean of the cathedral later wrote that he considered Christopher "one of the great heros" of that challenging morning.
      Christopher is a graduate of Trinity College in Connecticut where he studied with John Rose, his organ teacher from the age of 12.  While at Trinity College. where he won the Helen Loveland Morris Prize in Music and graduated with honors, Christopher served for a year as Assistant Organist at the Cathedral of St. Joseph (Roman Catholic) and another year in the same role at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal), both in Hartford. For three years he was Assistant Organist at the Trinity College Chapel.
         Late in his freshman year at Trinity a group of his friends formed the "Houli Fans," a club aimed mostly at gathering fellow students to attend Christopher's organ recitals and shout and cheer their enthusiastic support. Most of these students had never experienced an organ recital before supporting their friend. When he performed with the symphony during his senior year, they chartered buses to take throngs of students to the orchestra hall where they rained down loud cheers from the balcony. Houli fans is now a world-wide phenomenon on Facebook which has members throughout the U. S. and around the globe. It's new members frequently come from the ranks of aspiring young organists who are excited by his performances (live or on Youtube) which offer electricity and audience-friendly accessibility.
         Christopher is currently a graduate student of Paul Jacobs at The Juilliard School in New York. He was awarded two of the school's major scholarships, The Irene Diamond Graduate Fellowship, and The Chairman's Grant which was awarded by the president to "support a small number of students who have demonstrated exceptional potential for success at Juilliard." In 2011 Christopher will be a featured performer at two regional conventions of the AGO, in Des Moines and Oklahoma City.
         Prior to attending Trinity College, Christopher won the high school division First Prize of the Albert Schweitzer Organ National Competition at age 15. He has also twice won the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians, and at Trinity was the first recipient of the John Rose Organ Scholarship. After the organ, his major passion is musical theater and he has many singing performance roles to his credit.