Biography

photo © Luxar Studios

Andrew Halladay is currently Director of Music at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Thornton, Colorado. In addition to his leadership at Good Shepherd, Andrew teaches piano, voice, and guitar lessons and has been working with churches in the Denver Metropolitan area as a composer and arranger. Andrew is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received his Master of Music in Composition.

Andrew leads several ensembles at Good Shepherd including a chancel choir, a praise team, and a band covering the music of “The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.” In the near future, Andrew will be developing a children‘s and youth choir at Good Shepherd. Andrew recently completed his residency with Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. As “Composer in Residence,” Andrew has written several compositions for Montview’s various ensembles. Part of his commissions at Montview have included “Have Mercy Upon Me, O LORD,” and “My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?” for Montview’s Westminster Choir and Montview Orchestra. Andrew conducted these pieces on Montview’s Spring Concert. Andrew has also written and directed the music for three of Montview’s “Pulpit Players” productions; an original liturgical children’s theater troupe. The Westminster choir independently commissioned Andrew Halladay and poet, Thomas H. Troeger, to write a hymn to honor the 60th anniversary of the Westminster choir and Minister of Music, John Kuzma’s 20 years of service at Montview.

Mile Hi Church in Littleton, Colorado has commissioned Andrew to arrange several songs for their choir and praise band including “That‘s When I Find You” by Kenny Loggins, “Gloria” by Paul Schwartz. Other recent commissions include a Christmas cantata for Westminster United Methodist Church’s Chancel Choir, “Five Nuances of a Mood” for Ann Arbor Clarinetist, Trevor Young, and in the near future a hymn celebrating Niwot United Methodist Church’s 140th anniversary.

In his time at the University of Colorado, Andrew studied with Daniel Kellogg, Carter Pann, Richard Toensing, Michael Theodore, and John Drumheller. He has had private lessons with Ann Arbor-based composer, Michael Daugherty, and president of the Aspen Music Festival, Alan Fletcher. Andrew also has worked in a master class with Augusta Reed Thomas.

Andrew enjoys the liturgical music tradition. As Director of Music, Andrew strives to maintain the relevance of traditional music in worship, while simultaneously striving to create genuine expressions of music in contemporary worship. Andrew lives in Westminster, Colorado with his wife, Rachel.