Charles Callahan

b. 1951 - d. 2023

Composer News

Charles Callahan was a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Callahan was well-known as an award-winning composer, organist, choral conductor, pianist, and teacher. He was a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, Pa., and The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. Additional study had been in England, France, Germany and Belgium. He held the Associate and Choirmaster certificates of the American Guild of Organists.

Callahan compositions were performed frequently in church and concert; his writing style was described by The Washington Post as “gentle, confident lyricism.”

Among his notable compositions were two commissions from Harvard University and commissions from the Archdioceses of St. Louis and New York for Papal visits, scored for full orchestra, choir and congregation. His MOSAICS, a symphonic work in four movements for organ and orchestra, was premiered in the St. Louis Cathedral-Basilica.

Dr. Callahan was frequently asked to advise on the design of new organs and the restoration and improvements to existing instruments. His two volumes on American organ building history, The American Classic Organ and Aeolian-Skinner Remembered, had become standard reference works.

An active church musician and concert organist, Callahan conducted many of the major choral works with orchestra and performed on many of the great organs of the world. He had a dozen solo organ recordings to his credit. Callahan was an award-winning member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He was most recently honored by the American Guild of Organists with its 2014 Distinguished Artist award, “for his illustrious career as composer, performer, teacher and consultant, and his lifelong service to the sacred music profession.”