Ray Cornils
Celebrating his 27th year as Municipal Organist for the City of Portland, Ray Cornils also serves First Parish Church, UCC, Brunswick Maine as Minister of Music, where for the past 30 years he has built an active music program of five vocal and two handbell choirs. Known for his teaching skills for all ages, Mr. Cornils is a member of the music faculties of Bowdoin College, the University of Southern Maine and the Portland Conservatory of Music, where he teaches organ, harpsichord and related classes. He is artist in residence for the education programs of the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ, leading an extensive array of in-school programs for elementary, middle and high school classes about the pipe organ and its music.
Mr. Cornils has concertized throughout the United States, Europe and South America. He has been a featured recitalist for conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. He performs regularly with the Portland Symphony Orchestra both as harpsichordist and organist. An active member of the American Guild of Organists, Mr. Cornils has held many leadership roles, including Convention Coordinator for the 2014 National AGO convention in Boston.
Mr. Cornils received degrees at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He has studied harpsichord with William Porter, Lenora McCrosky and Rhona Freeman and organ with Robert Reeves, Fenner Douglas, William Porter, and Yuko Hayashi. He has done post-graduate studies with Dame Gillian Weir.