Meet the ISM's newest organ students

Meet the six talented new students who are pursuing the Master of Music degree in organ performance at the ISM and Yale School of Music. From left to right: David Rice, Nataly Pak, JoEllen West, Jacob Gruss, Katherine Johnson, Haniel Neves.

David Rice studied at the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, UK. He previously held director of music positions at the churches of St James, Cambridge and Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield. Most recently, he spent a year as acting assistant director of music at Coventry Cathedral, where he was the principal organist for four weekly choral services and special events such as the installation of a Bishop and a choir tour to Romania. For six years, David was head of choral music at Solihull School, where he taught music to pupils aged 8-18 and directed the 90-strong chapel choir program; this position allowed him the flexibility to teach in areas as diverse as outdoor education, maths and computer science.

Nataly (Seoyoung) Pak, originally from South Korea, has lived in San Jose, California since she was eight. At the ISM she will study organ performance. She graduated with a degree in organ performance from Oberlin Conservatory, where she studied with Professor Christa Rakich and also explored fortepiano under the guidance of Dr. David Breitman. Nataly is a recipient of the David S. Boe–C.B. Fisk Prize for Excellence in Organ Performance. She was featured on WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase with her performance from Oberlin’s Danenberg Honors Recital in 2024 and she has performed at venues close to home and in Ohio. Nataly has participated in masterclasses with professors Damin Spritzer and Bernhard Klapprott, served as organist at Grace Lutheran Church in Oberlin, and studied historic organs in Dresden, Germany. She also studied in France with leading organists including Louis Robillard, Jean-Baptiste Robin, Sophie Veronique, Olivier Penin, Christophe Mantoux, Aude Heurtematte, and Frédéric Blanc.

JoEllen West is thrilled to begin her master’s in organ performance and sacred music. Last spring, she graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance and music theory, where she studied with Todd Wilson. Originally from Dallas, TX, she studied organ with Bradley Welch and piano through the Southern Methodist University piano preparatory department for ten years and with Stephen Nielson for one year. She has held artistic leadership positions at the 2023 New ExplOratorio festival in Los Angeles, the 2024 Royal School of Church Music Midwest Residency and Interlochen Arts Camp, and has performed in numerous festivals throughout the United States and Europe. When not at the bench, JoEllen enjoys fitness, learning languages, and becoming a cheese connoisseur. 

Jacob Gruss, named one of The Diapason’s “Top 20 Under 30,” is a recent graduate of The Juilliard School and former Organ Scholar at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Jacob won first prize and audience choice at the 27th Albert Schweitzer Young Professionals Competition, as well as first-place in both the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition and Harrisburg’s Cassel Competition. Jacob has performed in renowned venues including New York’s David Geffen Hall and with The Juilliard Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall. Outside of music, he enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, and playing golf.

Katherine Johnson holds degrees organ performance and English from Oberlin College and Conservatory. Katherine has served as organist and music director at Church of the Redeemer in Lorain, Ohio, as an organ scholar at Plymouth Church United Church of Christ in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and as organ scholar at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, NC.

Haniel Neves is a recent graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he earned his B.M. in organ with studies in harpsichord under Dr. David Heller. He served various churches and was most recently organ scholar at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. He was awarded first prize and the hymn playing excellence award for the undergraduate division in the 2025 William C. Bill Hall Organ Competition in San Antonio, and is the winner of the 2025 Trinity Concerto Competition. He has just been awarded the 2025-2026 Knock Internship in Sacred Music at Rye Presbyterian Church, Rye, NY, and will be studying with Martin Jean and pursuing harpsichord studies with Arthur Haas at Yale. Ever the enthusiast of early recorded sound, he will also be assisting Mark Bailey at the Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings.

The application deadline for next year’s class is December 1. Learn more and apply.