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Douglas Haas

Douglas Haas, organist, choral conductor, teacher (born 25 December 1936 in Kitchener, ON; died 27 December 2020 in Kitchener). Kantor (Stuttgart) 1967.

Douglas Haas studied piano with Earl Moss at the Royal Conservatory of Music and organ privately with Frederick Geoghegan until 1958. He continued organ training with Fernando Germani at the Academy of St Cecilia in Rome, and served 1959-60 as organist at All Saints Anglican Church in Rome. Studies followed at the Academy of Music in Stuttgart (where he was organist at the Johanneskirche) and with Anton Heiller at the Haarlem Academy in Holland. Douglas Haas returned to Canada in 1967 as music director at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kitchener, where he has commissioned, composed, and performed many new works, played in weekly noon-hour recitals, and acted as host to an international organists' concert series. He founded in 1968, and conducted until 1972, the Kitchener Bach Choir. Haas has performed on tour in Canada, the USA, England, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, and has been a guest artist with the Canadian Brass, the Canadian Chamber Ensemble, the Toronto Consort, the London SO (Orchestra London), the Stuttgart Bach Collegium, and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has recorded and has appeared frequently on radio and TV. He joined the auxiliary faculty of Wilfrid Laurier University in 1976 and of Conrad Grebel College of the University of Waterloo in 1982, teaching organ, harpsichord and fortepiano. Hass has been accompanist of the Cambridge Girls' Choir and of Kitchener-Waterloo's Renaissance Singers. In 1992 Douglas Haas received the Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Award for musical excellence..

Discography

  • A Choral Christmas. Cambridge Girls' Choir. 198? World WRC1-5917
  • Albinoni Adagio. Württemberg Chamb O, Faerber conductor. 1966. Vox STPL-514180/Turn TV-34135/Lon 414-006-1/Allegro ACD-8098 (CD)
  • Amazing Grace. Daniel Lichti, baritone; James Mason, oboe; Douglas Haas, organ. 1996. Rabbit Hutch Productions RHP 0011
  • Bach Cantatas No. 29, 135. Deutsche Bach Solisten, Stuttgart Madrigal Choir, W. Goennewein conductor. 1963. Cantate Bach-Studio 651-216
  • - Cantata No. 80; Mass in A. Württemberg Chamb O, Rilling conductor. 1963. Vox DL-1100
  • Canadian Brass Plus Organ. Canadian Brass. 1977. CBC SM-346
  • Douglas Haas Plays the Stefanuskerk Organ, Hasselt, the Netherlands. 1980. Wat WR-8022
  • Handel Belshazzar. Choir and orch of the Stuttgart Memorial Church, Rilling conductor. 1963. 3-Vox SVBX-5209
  • Hymns of Creation. Cambridge Girls' Choir. 198? World WRC1-4150
  • Monteverdi Il Ritorno di Ulisse in patria. Santini Chamb O, Ewerhart conductor. 1964. 3-Vox SVBX-5211