Spartanburg Chapter of the American Guild of Organists

Lisa holds BM and MM degrees in piano performance from Converse College where she was presented the Distinction in Performance award. Upon graduation she was honored to be a part of the Lawson Academy piano faculty and founded the Fine Arts Day Camp. Lisa has been the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Greer for over 25 years. She plans worship, plays the organ, and conducts instrumental ensembles, handbells and choirs from pre-school age to adult. Lisa is also the conductor of Greenville Chamber Singers and enjoys many facets of music making, including conducting, teaching, performing, accompanying and adjudicating. Most recently, she has been excited to serve on the organ committee at FPC that has brought the installation of a new Cornel Zimmer hybrid organ to fruition.

Lane is a lifelong resident of Spartanburg.  He is a graduate of Spartanburg Day School, and Newberry College with degrees in Accounting and Church Music.  He studied piano with Beverly Barrs, and organ with Darr Wise and Dr. Michael Grant while in college.  Lane is a former member of the Spartanburg Festival Chorus, and also remains active in the Columbia, SC Chapter of the AGO.  He has served as pianist, organist, music director in Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Methodist churches for the past thirty years.  Lane currently serves as organist at Bethel United Methodist Church in downtown Spartanburg.

John is formerly from Fairfield County Connecticut, a computer science and business management graduate of the University of Connecticut. John is Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Boston-based, Top Flight Technologies, Inc and has a long career as Global Business Executive and Sr. Information Technologist in the high technology industry specializing in new company launches, mergers and acquisitions.

Like many engineers, John made the connection between math and music and has studied piano and organ with several teachers in the Greater New York City area along with being a life-long choir member. He has contributed his business leadership and technology skills to the success of the national American Guild of Organist organization as former Director of Communications and Technology leading the implementation of its ONCARD membership management system for 300+ USA chapters; and driving implementation of web and social media technology for local chapters, regional and national AGO organization events.

In addition to being the Secretary for Spartanburg AGO, John is also the Webmaster and Treasurer for the M. Louise Miller - Paul E Knox Scholarship Fund for the Greater Bridgeport AGO Chapter (CT), Treasurer for the Greenville AGO Chapter (SC) and a choir member at Buncombe United Methodist Church in Greenville.

Cheryl Duerr has served most AGO Chapter positions as well as on National Council (American Guild of Organists) from 2011-2018, and as Regional Councillor for the Northeast Region (New England, New York, and Europe, liaising with Eastern Canada), overseeing Conventions, Pipe Organ Encounters, and all other Guild activities within the region. She co-chaired the Montreal Organ Festival in 2017, a conference of 880 organ professionals from all over the world. In 2019 she was honored with the Award of Excellence by the Royal Canadian College of Organists. She lives in Greenville and studies organ with Jim Christie.

Steve was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, to Command Sgt/Major and Mrs. Guy & Augusta "Gussie" Nadeau. Thereafter, he was raised at Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California. He did his formal years of education and graduated with a double major in Humanities and History from California State University, Sacramento, California. He then furthered his course of studies at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California, where he successfully completed and achieved his Master's in Divinity and Theology as well as his PhD. He began his formal career in funeral service in 1981. In 1997, he opened his first independently owned funeral home, Nadeau Family Funeral Home in Vacaville, California. He then sold intending on retiring to the upstate of South Carolina. However, Steve was not ready to retire. In 2014, the decision was made with his two business partners to purchase and open mortuary in Northern Spartanburg County in the community of Chesnee. Between his years of experience and Tommy Harris', they collectively bring close to 60 years serving families with dignity and respect.

In his off time, Steve enjoys playing piano for the Chapman Cultural Center, many of the assisted, skilled and independent care centers as well as a church organist for St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church and Liberty United Methodist Church in Spartanburg. He recently became pianist of Worship Care, a specialized ministry for those suffering with Alzheimer's and their care givers. He has an interest in Classic Cadillac Collecting and to currently has three 1970 Cadillac's. He is a member of the South Carolina Funeral Director's Association, Northern Solano Lodge, #2534, Order of Son's of Italy in American and Italian Social Organization of Spartanburg.

A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Dr. Brennan has served as the adjunct instructor of organ at Converse University since 2009. His primary position is as the organist and choirmaster of Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Tryon, NC, having there served there since November 1st of 2021. and children’s choirs. For 18 years he was the organist and choirmaster of the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Spartanburg where under his direction, several Converse students and faculty members participated in the music ministry. He holds degrees in organ performance and church music at the University of Alberta (B. Mus. with distinction), Yale University (MM), and the University of Michigan (DMA).

Over the years, he has performed frequently as a solo recitalist and ensemble performer both locally and nationally. Some of his notable performance venues have included Washington National Cathedral, St. Thomas Church New York City, and the Cathedral of St. Phillip in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Szafron’s non-musical passion is the great outdoors. He is an avid hiker and swimmer and has visited all 47 state parks in South Carolina and 90 percent of the state parks in North Carolina. He visits his parents in Calgary, Alberta whenever possible.

Sharon Free is a beginner organist and new member of the Spartanburg Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  Sharon learned piano in grade school but then switched to flute as her primary instrument.  After playing flute from grade school through college, Sharon joined the Diamond State Concert Band in Wilmington, Delaware after graduating college with a chemistry degree. Sharon was a member of the Diamond State Concert Band for 30 years.  After moving to Spartanburg in 2012, she joined the Spartanburg Community Band where she serves as band president as well as performing in the flute section.  After retiring from the chemistry industry in 2025, Sharon started organ lessons with Dr. Brennan Szafron to fulfill a life long dream of playing a pipe organ.