Eileen Morris Guenther
Pipe Organ
eguenther@foundryumc.org
Phillips Hall B-140
Bachelor of Arts (English), 1970, Bachelor of Music (Organ Performance), 1970, University of Kansas; Masters of Arts, (Musicology), 1973, Doctor of Musical Arts (Organ), 1973, The Catholic University of America
EILEEN GUENTHER has held leadership roles in the American Guild of Organists for many years. She has served as dean of the Washington (D.C.) Chapter, and was chair of the 1982 AGO National Convention in Washington. As a member of the AGO National Council, she has been councillor for organizational concerns, councillor for professional development, and vice president. She is a national and international organ recitalist and has performed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. She is featured on recordings with Etherea Records, the U.S. Air Force Orchestra, Vista Records (London), and Foundry Records. For many years, Eileen Guenther was the host of an award-winning radio program, The Royal Instrument, broadcast on Washington’s WGMS.Dr. Guenther is associate professor of church music at Wesley Theological Seminary and professorial lecturer in music at the George Washington University. At Wesley, she teaches music and worship courses, conducts the Chapel Choir, and serves as director of Oxnam Chapel and the Summer School program. As an extension of her music ministry, Dr. Guenther leads workshops nationally for musical and denominational organizations. She has just returned from conducting at her third General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Tex.
In June 2007, Dr. Guenther concluded a distinguished career at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington. She was minister of music and liturgy for more than 30 years and designed the church’s 60-rank Casavant sanctuary organ in 1984. Under her leadership, the Foundry Choir appeared at United Methodist General Conference twice and sang at the Baltimore–Washington Annual Conference on many occasions. The Foundry Choir also sang at the White House numerous times and was described in a review by The Washington Post as "one of Washington’s best choruses." With repertoire ranging from Bach to Beveridge, these singers presented an annual Concert for Life, raising more than $600,000 for organizations that serve those living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa and in the Washington area.
Eileen Guenther has served as visiting lecturer at Africa University in Zimbabwe. In May 2007, she was part of the global praise team that taught music and worship in Uganda for representatives from the East Africa Conference of the United Methodist Church. She will be part of a similar team teaching in Ivory Coast in August 2008, and in December will lead her fifth group of Wesley Seminary students on an immersion trip to South Africa.