WILLIAM PICHER
William Picher, A.A.G.O., organist and trumpeter, was born to a musical family in Portland, Maine and began taking organ lessons with his father, Frank Picher, at the age of 7. At age 13, he began study of trumpet, and has continued playing both instruments throughout his career.
Dr. Picher holds music degrees from the University of Maine, Eastman School of Music and Catholic University of America. He has served in director of music/organist positions at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Portland, Maine) and the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle (St. Petersburg, Florida). He served for eight years as a trumpet instrumentalist with the United States Navy Band in Washington DC, and has also played trumpet with the Florida Orchestra, the Orlando Philharmonic, the Bangor Symphony, and the Walt Disney World Orchestra at the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT.
Additionally, he has served on the music faculty of the University of Maine, University of Southern Maine, St. Petersburg Junior College, Pinellas County Center for the Arts, and he was also the house organist at Portland, Maine’s historic State Theatre.
In addition to appearances as featured trumpet soloist with the United States Navy Band, Dr. Picher has performed as a trumpet soloist with the Mt. Vernon Chamber Orchestra, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Catholic University Symphony Orchestra, the University of Maine Band and others. He has performed under such conductors as Frederick Fennell, Howard Hanson, Karel Husa, Gunther Schuller, William D. Revelli, Donald Hunsburger, Vaclav Nelhybel and many more and has had several works for trumpet and piano written especially for him. Recent organ recital performance have included Holy Name Cathedral (Chicago), St. Mary’s Cathedral (San Francisco), and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington DC).
Dr. Picher is composer member of B.M.I., an Associate of the American Guild of Organists, and an active member of the International Trumpet Guild and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. He serves as Chapter Chair of the Orlando Chapter of NPM and the Diocesan Music Committee, and he is a member of the NPM National Council of Chapters. He has produced several published works for brass ensembles. Four CD recordings of Dr. Picher playing organ and trumpet have been recently released on the Stemik label, and are available online at http://www.cdbaby.com/all/stemikmusic
In 2000, Dr. Picher was awarded the St. Jude Medal by Bishop Robert Lynch in recognition for his service to the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle and the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Currently, Dr. Picher is Director of Music Ministries and Organist at the Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine, Florida, where he is in his 4th year of service. He is also on the music faculty of Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida.