GEORGE HALVERSON FIORE

Dr. George Halverson Fiore began his tenure as Senior Organist at First Presbyterian Church in November of 1999. Prior to his arrival at First Pres, George spent twenty-one years as organist and Coordinator of Music at Edmonds United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church of Seattle, and from 1967-71 was organist and choir director at The Cathedral of St. James in Seattle. George holds a Doctorate degree from Alaska Pacific University.

Perhaps George is best known to the Seattle community in his role as chorus-master of the Seattle Opera, a position he held for sixteen years. In the summer of 2000, he was appointed Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony for Choral Activities, a role which has won him much acclaim. An accomplished pianist, George has performed as soloist with the Seattle Symphony in Saint-Saens Third Piano Concerto. He has been heard as soloist with the Bellevue Philharmonic, Federal Way Philharmonic, Thalia Symphony, and Cascade Symphony in all five Beethoven concertos, the two Chopin concertos, and the Schumann piano concerto.

See Melinda Bargreen's article about Maestro Fiore in the Seattle Times

Rickie Malgren

Rickie Malgren is in his third year at Seattle Pacific University. He is majoring in Music Composition as well as in Mathematics. He hopes to one day teach math and ESL and would also like to be a missionary to Russia. Rickie began playing piano at age 11. His past teachers have included John Bartsch of Corban College in Salem, as well as Richard Farner and Diana Walker, both of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Rickie is currently studying piano with Dr. Robert Swan. He has performed in several group recitals, as well as a solo recital in Salem, Oregon, at age 13. Additionally, he has accompanied several musicians around the country. The Rachmaninov Rhapsody is his first orchestral piano solo. He feels honored to be playing with Dr. Eric Hanson and the Thalia Symphony Orchestra.