Introducing David P. Beatty

A native of rural western Pennsylvania, David P. Beatty is currently the sub-dean of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He received his BS in physics and his BM in church music from Westminster College in New Wilmington PA, where he studied organ with Raymond Ocock. While completing his PhD in nuclear physics at Rutgers University, he studied organ with, and was assistant to, David Drinkwater, University Organist/Choirmaster.

During that time he also studied improvisation with Gerre Hancock at St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City. Also during that time, he was organist for the New Brunswick Theological Seminary (overlapping the tenure of Eugene T. Sutton, now bishop of the Diocese of Maryland). A post-doctoral appointment in nuclear physics research brought him to the University of Pennsylvania in 1994, and soon thereafter he began to serve the churches of the Philadelphia area as a frequent substitute organist and choirmaster. In that capacity, Dr. Beatty has frequently played at: St. Mark's, Locust Street; St. Paul's, Chestnut Hill; the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill; St. Christopher's, Gladwyne; Good Shepherd, Rosemont; Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church; St. Luke & the Epiphany; and St. David's, Radnor.

In the 2005-2006 season, he served interim director of music and organist at The First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. In the 2002-2003 season, he served as interim organist at Swarthmore Presbyterian Church. From 1998 through 2001, he was organist of the Kirkpatrick Chapel of Rutgers University. After leaving the academic physics environment, Dr. Beatty commenced work as an engineer in the defense industry in 1998, and continues such work today.