Welcome to the World of Tedde Gibson

Tedde Gibson is one of a few musicians who can play classical and theatre pipe organ, as well as jazz and gospel, on the Hammond organ and piano. He integrates these styles into his performances on theatre and classical pipe organs, which are the ultimate vehicles to showcase his talents.

A native of Tacoma, WA, Tedde began playing the piano at the age of four, studying with Gail Brooks and the late Dorothy Bade. He later studied pipe organ with the late Dr. Edward Hansen, president of the American Guild of Organists and organ professor at the University of Puget Sound (UPS). He also studied piano with Dr. Stephen Moore and voice with Dr. Thomas Goleeke at UPS. He has studied Dr. J. Melvin Butler of the University of Washington (UW) and classical improvisation with David Dahl, organist emeritus of Pacific Lutheran University. While attending UW, he studied pipe organ with Dr. Carol Terry. Tedde has also coached with international theatre organists Jonas Nordwall of Portland, OR, and the late Andy Crow of Olympia, WA. He was an organist at First Assembly of God/Life Center in Tacoma and First AME Church in Seattle. 

Upon moving to the East Coast, Tedde coached with Howard University professor Dr. Mickey Thomas Terry, editor of an 11-volume anthology of music by African-American composers. He attended Peabody Conservatory in the organ studio of Dr. John Walker. 

He is the former chairman of the board of directors of The American Theatre Organ Society (www.atos.org), a non-profit organization charged with preserving the theatre organ, its history, and performance practices, and educating new audiences about this uniquely American instrument. He is the first African American to have held this position.

Tedde has recorded and/or accompanied several gospel and jazz artists, including Jennifer Holiday,  Ernest Pugh, Twinkie Clark, Edmonia Jarrett, Melba Moore, Shawn McLemore, and Mario Cantone.

Tedde is Director of Fine Arts at Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries in Baltimore, MD 9www.mountpleasant.org), organist at Capitol Hill Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Washington, DC, (https://www.capitolhillsdachurch.org), and house organist at the Weinberg Center for the Performing Arts in Frederick,  MD (https://weinbergcenter.org). 

He was organist/musician-in-residence at First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, MD (www.fbhp.org) for 18 years. He taught general vocal music for 14 years at Highland Park Christian Academy in Landover, MD. He teaches piano and organ privately.

Tedde performs across the country, accompanying silent films and concertizing, and educating young audiences about the theatre organ. He has performed at conventions for the Organ Historical Society, the American Guild of Organists, and the American Theatre Organ Society. 

Tedde has produced two recordings on the former Hardman Studio Wurlitzer: At Last and Let There Be Praise Volume I. He has recorded on the world’s largest pipe organ in Atlantic City, NJ, and is finishing up Let There Be Praise Vol 2.