Friar Rick, Pastor of Assumption Church, is excited to announce the hiring of accomplished organist and composer Mr. Charles Rus as Music Director of Assumption Church. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Charles received degrees from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan, and, as a Fulbright Scholar, the Folkwang Hochscule fur Musik in Essen, Germany.
He has worked with organ builders George Bozeman and Fritz Noack and has helped restore various organs, including the E. M. Skinner organ in Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is also an organ consultant and in that capacity has helped to bring the significant John Brombaugh Opus 9 to Sonoma State University.
Charles has been organist for the San Francisco Symphony, organ teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, organist for Temple Emanu-El, SF, Organist and Choir Director at Corpus Christi Church, Rochester, and Musician for St. Thomas Episcopal, Seattle.
Besides being an accomplished performer, Charles is a composer and owns three pipe organs of his own. As well as his ministry at Assumption, Charles will also be organ tuner and maintainer at Kerner and Merchant Pipe Organs.
When asked about his vision, here’s what Charles had to say: “I wish to keep the best of the past and employ the best of the new, all sung together in the same Mass in a professional and most importantly heart-felt manner. We will learn new songs and revel in our old favorites.”
Our organist-emeritus, Mr. Glenn Armstrong, describes his successor thus: “We are very fortunate to get him, and I’m excited to have him brought on board. He’s just the type of musician that I personality would have hoped for to continue the tradition of fine music that Assumption has had for the last 150 plus years”
Please contact us with questions and interest and feel free to visit Charles Rus on the web at www.charlesrus.com for more information.
