Rudy de Vos, DMA
Cathedral of Christ the Light
Oakland, California
(510) 496-7227
rdevos@oakdiocese.org

Recently appointed as Director of Music at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, Rudy de Vos maintains an active career as organist and choirmaster. A native from South Africa (from Dutch and French descent), Dr. de Vos has appeared in concert in South Africa, Europe, Great Britain and the United States. He began his musical training at the age of six, and his instruction in piano was from Pauline Nossel and Joseph Stanford.

Growing up in the house of a Dutch Reformed Church pastor, his love for organ and choral music developed at an early age, and at age eleven he gained his first position as church organist in Johannesburg. His organ teachers in South Africa include the late Stephanus Zondagh and Wim Viljoen.

During his undergraduate studies in South Africa at the University of Pretoria, he also earned the following diplomas from the University of South Africa: Teacher's Licentiate in Piano, Teacher's Licentiate in Organ, and Performer's Licentiate in Organ. Before his departure from South Africa, Dr. de Vos won the keyboard division of most competitions he was eligible to enter, including one of South Africa's most prestigious awards, the Stephanus Zondagh Scholarship for Overseas Study.

In 2004 de Vos received his Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Jesse Eschbach. During his studies at North Texas he was a Teaching Fellow in Organ as well as in Music Theory, and won first prize in the William Hall Competition.

His orchestral appearances include performances with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, Artium Symphony Orchestra, Natal Symphony Orchestra, and the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra. A student of David Higgs, he just completed his doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music. During his tenure at Eastman he was a Graduate Assistant in the Accompanying Department and Teaching Assistant in Organ. Prior to Dr. de Vos's appointment at the Cathedral of Christ the Light, he had been Director of Music & Organist at Saint Anne Church (Roman Catholic) in Rochester, New York. Dr. de Vos is also a laureate (2nd prize) of the St. Albans International Organ Competition.