Our Organist

Emily Pearce became Organist/Accompanist at First Unitarian in the Fall of 2008. Following organ study at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, her home state, Emily received her Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance, summa cum laude, from Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas.  Primary organ study has been with Sue Henderson Seid Martin and Diane Bish. Additional study has been with Arthur Poister, Michael Schneider and organ/harpsichord with Carl Smith. 

Before coming to First Unitarian she served a number of churches in the St. Louis area.  She was Organist and Choir Director of Union Avenue Christian Church for 14 years.  While there, her duties included playing for all services and directing the Adult, Children’s and Handbell Choirs.  More recently, Emily was Assistant Organist/Director of Music at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church where her duties included accompanying major oratorios and other choral works on the sanctuary organ.

Emily has performed on both organ and piano in recitals with her career church musician husband. Their programs at St. Peter’s Episcopal-Ladue, St. Paul United Church of Christ-Belleville and First Congregational-Webster Groves have included duets for piano and organ as well as for two organists.

A member of the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network, Emily is also an active member of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Disciple Musicians (ADM). In the past she chaired an annual ADM National Workshop and has sung with the St. Louis Women’s Chorale.