Andrew J. Peters

A native of New Jersey, Andrew Peters serves as Pastoral Musician (Organist- Director of Music) at Second Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. He graduated cum laude with a church music degree and music department distinction from Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.  While studying with John Ferguson, he served at All Saints Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church in Northfield, and as assistant organist in worship services at St. Olaf.

During graduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Mr. Peters studied organ with Todd Wilson.  He served as Music Intern at Church of the Covenant (Presbyterian), directed the University Singers at Case Western Reserve University, and worked as staff accompanist at the Cleveland Music School Settlement.

In 1996, Mr. Peters received the Peter B. Knock Sacred Music Award from Rye, New York and the Paul and Ruth Manz Church Music Scholarship.  He won several competitions in 1997 including first-place in both the American Guild of Organists (AGO) Twin Cities Competition and the John Rodland Memorial Scholarship Competition, second-place in the Region VI AGO Young Artists Competition, and honorable mention in the Ottumwa National Undergraduate Competition.  In 2006, he was semi-finalist in the National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance. In 2011, he received second-place in the Rodgers North American Organ Competition.   

Mr. Peters began his piano and organ studies with Noel and Barbara Piercy and completed additional organ study with Agnes Armstrong, Douglas Cleveland, and Wilma Jensen. He has played at venues across the United States. A member of the American Guild of Organists, he was Dean of the Nashville AGO Chapter and Director of the 2010 St. Louis Pipe Organ Encounter for young organists. His recording on the 14-rank Schoenstein Organ of the Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee was released in the fall of 2008. The Diapason reviewed his recording as having "... versatility of repertoire... clean and imaginative playing ... continually appropriate registration ...". The American Organist said, "Peters' performances are marked by their clarity, crispness of rhythm and articulation, precision, and control." He and his family live in the city of St. Louis.