Southern Arizona American Guild of Organists

The performing organist for the Roy Johnson Memorial Organ Series will be Doug Leightenheimer. Doug is a past Dean of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (SAAGO), as well as a long-time organist and choir master at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Tucson, Doug has also served on the executive boards of the Sarasota-Manatee (Florida) and Wilmington (North Carolina) chapters of the same organization, including two terms as dean for each group.

Doug is a published composer and recitalist. In 2008 he was featured with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra performing Symphony No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns and Symphonie Concertante by Joseph Jongen. In both April 2013 and April 2014, he performed the Mildred Flood Mahoney Memorial Organ Series Concert at the University of Arizona. Recent solo performances include the evensong series at St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church, and the 2015 summer series at Catalina United Methodist Church in Tucson. During UA’s 2016 spring semester, he served as an assistant conductor with the University Community Chorus.

Two classically trained musicians, both with broad musical interests and a variety of work in many of New York City’s musical circles, Michael Hey and Christiana Liberis embarked on a partnership in 2017 to bring a new and fresh approach to the organ and violin repertoire. They continue to explore and create different styles and genres of music for these two instruments.