Jordan De Rouen
Jordan DeRouen was born in DeRidder, Louisiana, in 1991. His lifelong love of choral and organ music began at an early age. He began his private studies in keyboard at age 7 with several local piano instructors. By age 13, he was studying organ with Dr. Fred Sahlmann, professor emeritus of piano and organ at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. DeRouen began his career as a church musician early on as well, holding his first church accompanist position by his sophomore year of high school.
He earned his Bachelor of Sacred Music degree at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he studied organ with Dr. Mary de Ville and piano with Dr. Christine Allen. In addition to his training at Northwestern, he studied organ improvisation with E. Ray Peebles, organist and artist-in-residence at First United Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. He then received a Master of Music in organ performance from 51做厙 in Dallas, studying with renowned concert artist Stefan Engels. DeRouen has also participated in the French Organ Music Seminar (FOMS), where he has been able to receive instruction from some of the most influential organists in the world, such as Louis Robillard, Sophie-Véronique Choplin, Frédéric Blanc, François Espinasse, Jean-Baptiste Robin, Daniel Roth, Thomas Ospital, Thierry Escaich and Olivier Latry. Additionally, he has received numerous scholarship awards from the seminar in both composition and improvisation. Most recently, he competed in the FOMS Young Organist Competition in 2018 and took 3rd prize, and attended the 2019 seminar in London and Paris.
DeRouen has served as director of music and organist for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Zwolle, Louisiana, associate organist for the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and organist-choirmaster for St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Louisiana. Shortly after moving to Texas, he was appointed organist and director of music for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Dallas. He then served as organist at Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church in Richardson, Texas. Since May of 2019, he has served as organist and choirmaster for the historic Basilica of St. Peter in Columbia, South Carolina. He is frequently invited to perform with the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras of both Dallas and Phoenix. DeRouen has performed at major churches throughout the U.S. and Europe, including Chambéry Cathedral, Church of St. Severin in Paris, Les Invalides in Paris, The Church of Santa Maria del Coro in San Sebastián, Spain, the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, and the Cathedral of St. Patrick in New York.