Organist David Pérez, Wichita, brings his knowledge and interests in music from Latin America to his recital at Bethel College.
He will play Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building chapel, or by livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1rMFim_XtQ
Bethel’s Organ Recital Series is free and open to the public, supported by a generous memorial gift from the family of Kathy Voran.
Pérez holds a B.A. in piano performance from Universidad de las Artes de Cuba, Havana, an M.M. in organ performance from Wichita State University, and a D.M.A. in music performance from the University of Kansas, where his research focused on 20th-century Latin American organ literature and organ building.
His program reflects that focus – he will play works by Alberto Ginastera, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Angelo Camin, José de Jésus Estrada, Ramón Noble and Ernesto Lecuona, as well as several composers born since 1969.
As a performer, Pérez has appeared throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States, performing in renowned festivals and venues across Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Panama.
As a scholar, he authored the first published article on Cuban organ building in The American Organist (2024) and curated the first collection of Cuban organ music in collaboration with the Leupold Foundation.
In addition to his performing and scholarly work, Pérez has served as a church musician and worked with choral and academic institutions across Kansas, including WSU and the KU choirs.
He is currently assistant professor of music at Newman University, Wichita, where he teaches piano and organ, collaborates with the choirs and music theater program, and acts as the university organist for campus events.
Outside of music, Pérez enjoys sharing Cuban coffee traditions with friends, exploring new cuisines, reading, and spending time with his wife, Angela, and their daughter, Sofía.
The second program in the 2025-26 Organ Recital Series will be Feb. 10, 2026, with YunJung Lee, Wichita.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel is ranked #25 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional College Midwest for 2026. Bethel was the only Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Community Healing and Transformation (TCHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu
