Merellyn Gallagher
College Organist Emeritus
Office: Skinner Hall 305
Phone: (845) 437-7329
Box: 340
Contact Merellyn Gallagher
A.B., Smith College; M.A., University of Minnesota
Ms. Gallagher studied organ with Vernon Gotwals (Smith College, A. B.), Helmut Walcha (Germany, as a DAAD grant recipient for one year), and with Heinrich Fleischer (University of Minnesota, M. A.)
She performs as organ soloist and accompanist, including accompanying a high school choir on five European tours between 1980-1992, and the Vassar College Choir in an Evensong Service at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, England in 2001. A member of the Vassar faculty since 1972, she taught also in theory and music history areas, played an inaugural recital on the 2002 Paul Fritts pipe organ, and other recitals on the Vassar Chapel organ for which she oversaw an upgrade and refurbishing in 2004. She has been involved with several other organ and harpsichord projects at Vassar over the years. Ms. Gallagher was director of music at Grace Church in Millbrook, NY from 1970 through 2002, and managed a concert series 1971-1987. She has served in various capacities in the Central Hudson Valley Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, was on the faculty for Pipe Organ Encounters 1990 at Duquesne University, and performed as soloist in the Regions II and III Convention in 2005.