Elgin organist takes the helm of American Guild of Organists Great Lakes Region

Local organist and music director Jeffrey Neufeld was installed on July 8 as the new Regional Ambassador for the Great Lakes Region of the American Guild of Organists at their biannual national convention held in St. Louis, Missouri on July 6-10. He is succeeding Larry Sharp of Kentucky in the role.

The Great Lakes Region of the AGO comprises local chapters in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. For purposes of administration, the association is divided into seven geographical regions, and each is represented by a Regional Ambassador elected by the membership of that region for two years and who may serve up to three consecutive terms.

A native of southwestern Minnesota, Neufeld received organ performance degrees from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music. He is currently the director of music and organist at First Congregational Church in Elgin, Illinois, and a board member of the local Fox Valley Chapter of the AGO which covers the western suburbs of Chicago.

The American Guild of Organists, based in New York City, is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. The association serves approximately 250 chapters and 10,000 members throughout the United States and abroad. Its mission is to foster a thriving community that shares knowledge and inspires passion for the organ.

Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, the AGO seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music. Under the leadership of the National Council, a network of volunteer committees and officials at the regional, district, and local levels directs the activities of the American Guild of Organists.