Joseph Peeples was called as a Temple Square organist in April 2019, continuing a tradition that stretches back to Utah’s early pioneer days. Prior to his appointment, he held the positions of University Organist at California Lutheran University in his hometown of Thousand Oaks, and Organist at First United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara. Peeples has taught a wide range of courses in music theory, appreciation, and performance at California Lutheran, Pepperdine, Indiana, and Brigham Young universities, and is currently on the faculty of the annual Brigham Young University Organ Workshop. He is a doctoral candidate in organ performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and holds a Master of Music degree in organ performance from Brigham Young University. Apart from his role on Temple Square, Peeples is a scientific programmer in the optical thin-film industry. He and his wife, Ellen, are proud parents of three sons.
