1841–1915

Introduction

Born: Feb­ru­ary 18, 1841, Mont­re­al, Ca­na­da.

Died: Oc­to­ber 7, 1915, New York Ci­ty.

Buried: Pough­keep­sie Rur­al Ce­me­te­ry, Pough­keep­sie, New York.

portrait

Biography

Samuel was the old­est son of or­gan build­er Sam­uel Rus­sell War­ren, and bro­ther of or­gan build­er Charles Sum­ner War­ren. His se­cond wife, Jeanne Jo­sé­phine Crok­er-South Ward, was a pro­fes­sion­al op­era sing­er of French or­i­gin.

He re­ceived his first or­gan les­sons at age 11, and gave his first re­cit­al at St. Ste­phen’s Cha­pel in Mon­tre­al. He suc­ceed­ed his fa­ther as or­gan­ist at the Am­er­ican Pres­by­te­ri­an Church in Mon­tre­al, play­ing there un­til 1858.

In 1861, he went to Ber­lin, Ger­ma­ny, where he stu­died un­der Carl Au­gust Haupt (or­gan), Gus­tav Schu­mann (pi­ano) and Paul Wie­precht (the­ory).

In 1864, War­ren went to New York to be­come or­gan­ist at All Souls Uni­ta­ri­an Church. From 1868–74 and 1876–94, he played the or­gan at Grace Epis­co­pal Church, and 1874–76 at Holy Tri­ni­ty Epis­co­pal Church, both in New York Ci­ty. In 1895, he be­came or­gan­ist at the First Pres­by­te­ri­an Church in East Or­ange, New Jer­sey, where he stayed the rest of his life.

Warren was a found­ing mem­ber of the Am­er­ican Guild of Or­gan­ists in 1896, and be­came hon­or­ary pre­si­dent of the or­gan­i­za­tion in 1902.

He al­so con­duct­ed the New York Vo­cal Un­ion, and taught at the Bos­ton Con­ser­va­to­ry of Mu­sic. Among his pu­pils was Au­gus­ta Low­ell, one of the first or­gan­ists in North Am­er­ica.

Sources

Music