![\"British](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Simon-Mulligan.jpg\")
British pianist Simon Mulligan. (Courtesy of Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom)<\/p>\nBritish pianist Simon Mulligan will perform at Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom, 555 Warwick Drive, Wyomissing, on Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. for the Kozloff-Rotenberg Night of Music.<\/p>\n
British pianist Simon Mulligan. (Courtesy of Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom)<\/p>\n
Mulligan has been described by The Times of London as \u201cthe most abundantly gifted of pianists\u201d by Yehudi Menuhin; as \u201cone of the finest pianists I have ever had the\u00a0 pleasure of performing with\u201d by Herbie Hancock; as \u201cphenomenal\u201d and \u201cthe world\u2019s most versatile pianist\u201d by Steinway & Sons.<\/p>\n
A dessert reception in the Social Hall will\u00a0 follow the performance.<\/p>\n
Following his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Mulligan has performed and recorded with the BBC Symphony, Detroit Symphony, English Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Sonfonia, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Malaysian Philharmonic, and the Royal National Scottish Orchestra.<\/p>\n
Mulligan recorded his first CD at age 19 under the direction of Yehudi Menuhin, which led to a seven-year collaboration and friendship, culminating with Menuhin\u2019s final concert in Dusseldorf, Germany. Mulligan has gone on to record albums for Sony, Universal, Decca, Nimbus, Naxos, and 14 solo releases for the Steinway label.<\/p>\n
As a chamber musician, Mulligan collaborates with many notable artists. While a student at London\u2019s Royal Academy of Music, he began worldwide recital tours with cellist Lynn Harrell. He soon began touring with violinist Joshua Bell, performing at every major international\u00a0 venue, including live broadcasts from Lincoln Center and at the Grammy Awards.<\/p>\n
Mulligan has performed for three U.S. presidents, Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family, and has enjoyed collaborations with Dame Shirley Bassey, Liza Minnelli, Van Morrison, and Sting.<\/p>\n
Alongside an extensive solo repertoire and almost 60 concertos, Mulligan\u2019s focus on\u00a0 contemporary music has led to first performances of works by Hans Werner Henze, James\u00a0 MacMillan, Paul Moravec, Tobias Picker, Mary Anthony Turnage, and Alexis Weissenberg.<\/p>\n
Mulligan\u2019s passion for paraphrases and improvisation has been featured in Downbeat, Billboard, JazzTimes, International Pianist, and Gramophone.<\/p>\n
Mulligan enjoyed a close\u00a0 friendship with film composer Michael Kamen, featuring on several of Kamen\u2019s scores, most notably the HBO television series \u201cBand of Brothers,\u201d produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.<\/p>\n
As a jazz pianist, Mulligan has performed at festivals in Europe, Asia, South America, and Barbados.<\/p>\n
The Simon Mulligan Quartet is made up of saxophonist Frank Walden, drummer Justin Woodward and bassist Andy Hamill. His U.S.-based trio, the Simon Alliance, features\u00a0 bassist Gene Perla and drummer Adam Nussbaum.<\/p>\n
Mulligan is the most prolific Steinway Artist, having recorded in all genres and advised in the development of the Steinway Spirio piano since its inception in 2014.<\/p>\n
A music scholar of St. Paul\u2019s School in London, Mulligan began his studies with Bobbie Howlett and Andrew Pledge. At the age of 13 he received a scholarship to study with\u00a0 Alexander Kelly at the Royal Academy of Music, leading to classes with Jacques Rouvier in Paris and Alexander Satz in Austria. Mulligan also studied Beethoven in London at the invitation of Alfred Brendel.<\/p>\n
Mulligan was awarded a further scholarship to the International Piano Academy at Italy\u2019s Lake Como, where he began private study with Alexis Weissenberg. He additionally counts among his mentors Charles Rosen and Murray Perahia.<\/p>\n
Mulligan holds the Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music and is Artist-in-Residence at Moravian University in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n
The Night of Music honors the memories of Jeraldine (Jeri) Kozloff and Alison Rotenberg, members of RCOS.<\/p>\n
To support the night of music, a donation is $40 per seat. All donations above $100 will be\u00a0 listed in the program. No physical tickets will be issued. Consider an additional\u00a0 amount to sustain the congregation\u2019s music fund, which pays for the choir, accompanist, music programming, and cantor.<\/p>\n
You can indicate number of seats and donate online at https:\/\/ohebsholom.org\/kozloff-night-of-music<\/a>. The deadline is Nov. 2.<\/p>\n \u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n John Painter, organist and choirmaster at Christ Episcopal Church, 435 Court St., Reading, will present an organ recital in the church sanctuary on Friday at 7 p.m., part of the 41st season of the Fall Festival of the Arts.<\/p>\n A Berks County native, Painter grew up in Mohrsville and graduated from Schuylkill Valley High School in 1996. He began studying piano at age 5 with the late Ferne Rubright, organist and choir director at Belleman\u2019s Lutheran Church, and took up the organ in his teens, first practicing on an old Allen organ at school.<\/p>\n Painter double-majored in organ studies and historical studies at Bard College, where he studied organ with the late Sir Frederick Hammond and privately with John Weaver of the Juilliard School, and also underwent an apprenticeship in organ maintenance with Kevin D. Chun in Philadelphia and New York. He later earned a master of music in organ and sacred music from the Manhattan School of Music under McNeil Robinson, and studied organ privately from 2002 to 2006 with Donald Dumler, principal organist of the Cathedral of St. Patrick in New York City.<\/p>\n After graduating in 2000, Painter held a series of interim and substitute posts, including four years as organist and choir director at Calvary Lutheran Church in Laureldale, before becoming director of music, organist and choir director for St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church in the Bronx in 2009 \u2014 a demanding post serving a large parish.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to play for six Masses each weekend, and there were three choirs,\u201d he said. \u201cI loved it, but I started asking myself if this was the schedule I wanted to keep for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n After a break in Puerto Rico, Painter set off for Agadir, Morocco, where he spent six years, from 2016 to 2022, teaching English at the Lycee Fran\u00e7ais d\u2019Agadir and other schools, while continuing his own organ studies when he traveled to Europe. He also learned Darija, the Moroccan dialect of Arabic, and traveled inland to villages in the Atlas Mountains. He eventually returned to Berks County to be closer to family, substituting in the Reading area until Christ Episcopal Church\u2019s opening for a music director led to his hiring in 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cThe organ here is in better condition than most of the others I\u2019ve seen,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the choir is full of excellent musicians who have been singing for decades. It\u2019s hard to find that, and it\u2019s been such a pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n The Friday program draws on the French organ repertoire alongside works by Johann Sebastian Bach.\u00a0Admission is by free-will offering.<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/painter-photo-5.jpg\")
John Painter, organist and choirmaster at Christ Episcopal Church in Reading, will present an organ recital at the church on Oct. 9. (Copyright Jeremy Drey)<\/p>\n