Concert organist, church musician, presenter and educator, Dr. Valerie Harris intertwines her passion for musical excellence with sharing her love of music with others. In recital performances in the U.S. and Europe, she explores a range of exciting and engaging repertoire from early to contemporary in many styles. She performs frequently as Guest Recitalist on the historic Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah and at the Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona on the 1859 Robjohn organ. She has given many workshops and presentations across the country including for the American Guild of Organists 2024 National Convention, for various AGO Chapters, and for the National Federation of Music Clubs national conventions.
She holds a Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree in Organ Performance from Arizona State University, where she studied with Kimberly Marshall. She holds a Master of Music in Organ Performance and Graduate Certificate of Church Music from Shenandoah Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University. She has done post-graduate historical organ performance study in Europe with Pieter Dirksen, Hans Davidsson, Luc Ponet, and Léon Berben.
Current leadership responsibilities include Dean of the Central Arizona Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and national board member as Arts Advocacy Chair and Media Chair for the National Federation of Music Clubs. She is the Associate Music Director and Organist at First United Methodist Church of Mesa, Arizona and has served many varied church denominations as Director of Music Ministries and Organist.
Dedicated to inspiring organists, she has taught piano, organ, and conducting to hundreds of students, motivating many young musicians to study music in college and students of all ages to achieve successful experiences competitively and through community and church service. She is committed to promoting the vision of excellently prepared and spiritually reflected music in the Church.