James D. Hicks James D. Hicks is a native of Fredericksburg, VA. He holds degrees in music from the Peabody Institute of Music of Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and the University of Cincinnati. Other studies of his include courses at the Royal School of Church Music in England. He is an Associate of the American Guild of Organists. Hicks was Director of Music at The Presbyterian Church, Morristown, NJ from 1985-2011, where he conducted many of the church’s ensembles, administered the concert series, and served as organist. In 1995-96, he oversaw the extensive rebuild of the Austin organ in the sanctuary and in 2009 purchased a continuo organ by Dutch builder Henk Klop as a further addition to the church’s musical resources. Jim has appeared as a concert organist throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. In recent years, he has made two organ recordings on the Pro Organo label. The first, American Classic Fantastic, was recorded at the Presbyterian Church in Morristown. It features several world premieres of twentieth and twenty-first century American repertoire and includes two original works. The National Public Media program Pipedreams has broadcast many of the selections from this 2003 release and it received favorable notice in the media. In January 2010, Hicks recorded a two-cd set for Pro Organo entitled Nordic Journey. Performed on the historic organ of Linköping Cathedral, Linköping, Sweden, this collection of unusual nineteenth through twenty-first century Nordic repertoire includes a commissioned work by Swedish cathedral organist Fredrik Sixten, "Variations for Organ," as well as several previously unrecorded compositions. Jim is planning a series of new recordings in 2013 for Pro Organo that will demonstrate his continued interest in Nordic music. He has commissioned three new works for these recordings by Fredrik Sixten and Uppsala-based composer Marten Jansson. Jim enjoys improvising on the piano and has written several works for that instrument as well as compositions for organ. In addition to his keyboard activities, Hicks is a devotee of Celtic music, performing on several instruments associated with that tradition, particularly bellows-blown small pipes and border pipes. In 2010, Jim’s competitive highland piping performance enabled him to finish in first place for the Grade III seasonal standings of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association. In 2012 he plans to return to competitive piping on the Grade II level. Jim lives in Morristown with his wife Bonnie and favorite hiking companion, Chloe the dog, and is proud to follow the many activities of his daughter Virginia, and stepsons, Matthew and Daniel Parish.