Kimberly Hess

Academic Credentials

B.F.A., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.S.M., University of Notre Dame
Ph. D., University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

Biography

Kimberly Ann Hess is Ceremonial Organist at Arlington National Cemetery
where she plays funerals in Old Post Chapel. In addition, she is Director of
Music and Liturgy in Memorial Chapel at Ft. Myer and Instructor of Music at
Marymount University, both in Arlington, VA.  She is currently the Dean of
the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Prior to her position at Ft. Myer, she was Director of Music and Organist at
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Chapel at the United States Military Academy
(West Point, NY), where she directed the Cadet Catholic Choir.  As one of
three post organists, she played in the many chapels on post including the Post
Chapel, Old Cadet Chapel and the Cadet Chapel, which houses the largest,
all-pipe, church organ in the world.

She was Director of Liturgical Music at Georgetown University from 2002-
2006, where she directed the chapel choir, served as chapel organist, and
oversaw the music for all campus liturgies. In addition, at Georgetown, she
taught organ and music courses through the Program in Performing Arts.
From 1994-2001, she was Director of Music and College Organist at Stonehill
College in Massachusetts.

She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Organ Performance from Indiana
University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Music degree in Sacred Music from
the University of Notre Dame and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ
Performance from the University of Illinois. Her teachers have included Carol
Teti, Craig Cramer and Michael Farris.

In 1994, Dr. Hess won first prize in both the Arthur Poister National Organ
Competition in New York and the Gruenstein Memorial Organ Contest for
Women, a national competition sponsored by the Chicago Club of Women
Organists.

Other Information

Teaching Area

Research Interests

Publications