Faculty

Ladd Thomas, professor and department chair, organ studies, holds a BA degree and an honorary doctorate of music from Occidental College. He also earned a master’s degree in theology from the Claremont School of Theology. Professor Thomas studied organ with Max Miller, David Craighead and Clarence Mader. He regularly gives workshops and masterclasses for the American Guild of Organists, colleges and universities throughout the country.

Professor Ladd Thomas has concertized in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Poland, Austria, Yugoslavia and Italy, appearing with orchestras conducted by Zubin Mehta, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Christopher Seaman, Eduardo Mata and others. His performances at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists have included numerous world premieres. Professor Thomas has recorded on the London-Decca, Angel, Owl, Klavier, Avant, Western International and Summit labels, and for MGM, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia and Universal Studios.

He served the American Guild of Organists as dean, state and regional chairman. Since 1960, he has been the organist of the First United Methodist Church of Glendale. Currently he is also the organist of the Vallejo Drive Church of Seventh-day Adventists in Glendale.