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Michael T. Britt
Organist
St. Margaret Church
Bel Air, Maryland

    Michael Britt, a Baltimore native, began piano studies with Gwendolyn Logston.  At age 12, Michael entered the Peabody Preparatory School where he studied piano with Joyze Sutherland, James Warthen and organ with Gretchen Benchoff.  In 1979 Michael entered the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he studied organ with Dr. Paul L. Davis and Improvisation / Sacred Music with Arthur Rhea.  He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Organ Performance having been the recipient of the Richard L. Phelps Award and a three-time recipient of the Richard Ross Award for organ.  In 1980, Michael became the Associate Organist at the Shrine of the Little Flower and in 1981, was appointed Minister of Music where he served for nearly 26 years.  In 1984 Michael was a finalist in the Arthur Poister competition in Syracuse, New York. Further studies have been with Thomas Spacht, Donald Sutherland and John Rose. 

     As well as being a frequent recitalist of classical organ literature, Michael is a performer of theatre organ music and is in demand throughout the country as a silent film accompanist, performing for the chapters of the American Theatre Organ Society and most recently, for the Region III-American Guild of Organists Convention in Baltimore. He has been featured on Maryland Public Television and other televised presentations on the theatre pipe organ and Maryland's Free State Theatre Organ Society.  In 1998, Michael was invited to perform at Baltimore's Senator Theatre where he accompanied five silent films for the National Film Registry Tour which was sponsored in part by the Library of Congress. Mr. Britt has also performed at the Palace Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio; The Paramount Theatre in Anderson, Indiana; The Byrd Theatre in Richmond, Virginia ans well as yearly performances at the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. In 2002, Michael was invited to Princeton University to accompany the silent file classic, "Phantom of the Opera" at the University Chapel where recently, he completed his third performance of this annual event. In October 2007, he again accompanied the "Phantom of the Opera" silent film on the "mighty" M.P. Moller Organ (28 ranks / 1,620 pipes) at St. Margaret Church, Bel Air, Maryland.

     In his career as a sacred musician, Michael has been active in commissioning new music for organ, choir and congregation. He was one of the founders of the Baltimore Archdiocesan Choir and served at Co-Director for four years.

     In July 0f 2006, Michael was appointed Director of Music at St. Margaret Roman Catholic Church in Bel Air, Maryland where he oversees an extensive music program in a parish of 5,200 families. He is also on the faculty at the Community College of Baltimore County and serves as Assistant Organist at Beth-El Congregation.