Trudy Faber, Professor of Music
Called “a friendly woman with an engaging smile,” by one international concert reviewer, Trudy Faber has spent a lifetime inspiring others to find their light through her teaching and her unwavering passion for playing the organ.
Recipient of the 1998 Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching, Wittenberg’s top faculty prize, and a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to study organ and harpsichord at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Gustav Leonardt, Faber has performed on the organ and the harpsichord in 31 states and around the globe, most recently in Europe. While on tour May 13-June 9, 2007, Faber caught the attention of one critic who noted how her “program demonstrated consistently her temperament—warm-hearted and varied but respectful [showing humility] for the work and the place. She freely demonstrated her familiarity with European music history.”
“When people ask about my recital tour, I tell them it was intense, stressful, and exhausting, but above all exhilarating,” Faber said.
That commitment to her craft combined with her sought-after expertise, acquired through years of study and performances at world-renowned churches, international conferences, organ dedications and close to home, have motivated numerous students to pursue their passion for music performance throughout her more than 40-year tenure at Wittenberg.
“My students are my inspiration, not only to continue to expand my own knowledge, but also to constantly figure out ways to get them to conquer difficult techniques and to play musically and accurately within a given style,” Faber said. “What a delight when students I have not seen for years show up at my recitals, not only throughout the United States but even in England, Holland, and Germany.”
A certified church musician who has performed 40 unbroken years of organ and/or harpsichord recitals at Weaver Chapel, Faber, who also serves as organist at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Springfield and directs Wittenberg’s Handbell Choir, received her bachelor’s degree from Calvin College and her master’s degree from Smith College. She also completed additional graduate work at the University of Toronto and studied harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, under Greta Kraus. She joined the Wittenberg faculty in 1966 and served as the music department chair from 1995-2004. She currently teaches organ as well as courses in Baroque music and women composers.