Concerts at First Church presents organist Richard Elliott in concert.

Richard Elliott is the Principal Organist for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the past 32 years, he has accompanied the choir on its weekly radio and TV broadcast, “Music & the Spoken Word,” as well as in general conferences of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on dozens of CDs and DVDs, and in the choir’s annual Christmas concerts, which are broadcast each year on PBS. As accompanist for the Tabernacle Choir, he has performed in many of the world’s great halls and appeared on numerous TV and radio programs, including the NBC “Today Show,” the “CBS Morning Show,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” and the nationally syndicated “Pipedreams” radio program. In his work with the choir, Dr. Elliott has collaborated with many guest artists including Andrea Bocelli, the Canadian Brass, Kristin Chenoweth, Renée Fleming, Evelyn Glennie, the King’s Singers, the Sesame Street Muppets, Robert Shaw, James Taylor, and Bryn Terfel. 

He also has a busy solo career, having given thousands of organ concerts on Temple Square as well as numerous performances on five continents. He appears on seven organ CDs and is a published composer and arranger of music for organ, choir, and orchestra. In June 2022, Dr. Elliott was awarded the Governor’s Mansion Arts Award by Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox and First Lady Abby Cox. The annual award recognizes Utah artists who have a positive impact on the arts and on their communities. A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, Dr. Elliott has been a featured performer at national and regional conventions of the guild.

Before becoming a Tabernacle organist in 1991, Dr. Elliott was an assistant professor of organ at Brigham Young University, and for several years he served as assistant organist at the John Wanamaker Department Store (now Macy’s) in Philadelphia, home to the world’s largest functioning pipe organ. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he received his early musical training at the Peabody Conservatory. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in organ from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and MM and DMA degrees from the Eastman School of Music. His organ teachers have included David Craighead, Marjorie Jovanovic, Dale Krider, William Watkins, and John Weaver.