A Dayton, Ohio native, Grant Wareham began organ studies with Jerry Taylor in 2007. Named one of The Diapason magazine’s top “20 under 30” young organists in 2020, He was recently appointed as Director of Music and Organist at First Unitarian Church of Dallas, one of the largest congregations in the Unitarian Universalist Association. Wareham has also served as Associate Organist and Choirmaster at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Dallas, and as Director of Music at Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, PA. Early in his tenure at this church, he oversaw the reinstallation of Aeolian-Skinner No. 1132, originally installed in 1950 at the Church of the Redeemer in New Haven, Connecticut—work highlighted in both The Diapason and The American Organist magazines.
Active as an organ recitalist, Wareham has performed at the 2022 and 2017 Organ Historical Society National Conventions, and at notable venues such as the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta; Trinity Church, Boston; and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City. A champion of new music, in 2022 he commissioned and premiered Karim Al-Zand’s Toccata for Organ in Washington, D.C. He also gave the American premiere of Francesco Santelli’s Assisi Concerto for organ and chamber orchestra at NYC’s Church of the Covenant in 2019. Winner of both First and Audience Prizes at the 2017 Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition in Hartford, Connecticut, he was also a semifinalist in the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition.
Wareham earned an MM degree at the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music and School of Music, where he studied with Jon Laukvik and Thomas Murray. During his time in New Haven, he served as organist and choirmaster for the Episcopal Church at Yale, and as organ scholar at Christ Church New Haven. He earned a BM degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with Ken Cowan, graduating cum laude and with distinction in research and creative work. While in Houston, he served as Moseley Memorial Organ Scholar at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Meyerland, and then as associate organist at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church.