Aaron Tan

Director of Music and Organist

Welcome to Two Saints, Aaron!

About Aaron

Concert organist Aaron Tan is a leading young artist in North America. In October 2021 he was awarded First Prize at the 2021 Canadian International Organ Competition as well as three additional awards for performances of specific works at the competition (the Sir Ernest MacMillan Award for Canadian competitors, the award for best performance of a work by Marcel Dupré, and best performance of a work by a Canadian composer). Originally from the Philippines and Canada, he is an organist and pianist who enjoys multi-faceted careers as a musician and a materials scientist.

Aaron's primary musical tutelage has been with John Tuttle, David Palmer, Joel Hastings, Martin Jean, and David Higgs. His musical upbringing started on the piano and later on the violin. He received his Associate (ARCT) diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada at the age of twelve and went on to earn his Licentiate (LTCL) and Fellowship (FTCL) diplomas in Piano Performance from Trinity College of Music, London, England, at 13 and 15 years of age, respectively. When he was 18, he also completed his ARCT diploma in Violin Performance.

In 2004, under the auspices of the Barwell Scholarship (awarded to pianists interested in learning the organ), he began organ studies with John Tuttle while concurrently entering as a freshman in Engineering Science at the University of Toronto. Since then, he has gone on to complete both Associate (ARCCO) and Fellowship (FRCCO) diplomas in organ from the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO). In addition, he has also won numerous noteworthy contests and scholarships including First Prize at the American Guild of Organists 2018 National Young Artist Competition in Organ Performance, the Toronto RCCO Young Organists Competition, the Osborne Organ Competition of the Summer Institute of Church Music (Ontario), the RCCO's National Organ Playing Competition, the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians, the Lilian Forsyth Scholarship, the 2012 Poland International Piano Festival Competition, the West Chester University Organ Competition, the Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition, the Sursa American Organ Competition.

Aaron is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester New York. Most recently he has been appointed as an Instructor of Piano at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, as well as an Organ Instructor at Eastman School of Music. He received his MM and MMA from Yale University. Aaron also holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan and worked there as a postdoctoral researcher in the University's Laboratory for Complex Materials and Thin Films Research, studying the dielectric and thermal properties of polymer thin films. 

Aaron has served as Organ Scholar at St. John's Episcopal Church in Detroit, Michigan, Artist in Residence at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit, Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and Organ Scholar at the Church of the Resurrection, New York City, and currently serves as Director of Music at St. Alban's Catholic Church (Ordinariate) in Rochester New York. In 2019, Aaron released his first commercial recording, "Impressions". His second album, "Aux étoiles", is due for release in October 2023, and features rarely heard post-Romantic works by Karg-Elert, Whitlock, Laurin, and Duparc, among others. 

More information about Aaron's musical interests and activities can be found at www.AaronTan.org

Yvonne Trobe

Soprano

Yvonne Trobe is a classically trained soprano who graduated from Eastman School of Music with her Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Literature in 2017. A native to Rochester, NY, Yvonne received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam in 2015.



Yvonne is an award-winning performer. Her accolades include: Buffalo/Toronto District Winnter of The Metropolitan Opera Competition, Manatee Opera Guild Helen Jepsen Dellera Award for a Deserving Studio Artist and the Daniel R. Mandelker & Marlene N. Harris Award from the Sarasota Opera, Renée Fleming Endowment Scholarship and William and Jocelyn Macy Sloan Scholarship from the Eastman School of Music, The Oliver Dillenbeck Goodrich Memorial Award and Noreen M. Canfield Scholarship from the Crane School of Music, Winner of the National Association of Teachers Singing Student Competition, and Winner of the Classical Singer Competition (Regional). She placed as a semi finalist at the National Classical Singer Competition, a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society, and a Rochester Scholastic Arts Spotlight Recipient.

Benjamin Magruder

Tenor, Violist

Tenor and Violist Ben Magruder is an active performer, teacher, arranger and producer. Ben plays with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as well as various local orchestras and chamber groups. Throughout his education, he’s studied with George Taylor, Peter Slowik and Carol Rodland. Ben also has a passion for teaching, having completed an education degree in addition to his performance studies. He regularly conducts, teaches group strings and teaches general music while maintaining a private studio. A born multi-instrumentalist, Ben has never been able to resist a new instrument. He enjoys playing guitar or drums with a rock band as well as singing with a church choir as the tenor section leader. He also loves to cook and helped keep himself afloat through college as a chef at a fine restaurant and private chef. When he gets the chance, Ben likes to play chess and racquetball.

Abigail Hanna

Soprano, Cello

Abby Hanna is currently studying cello with Steven Doane at Eastman School of Music. After receiving a full ride scholarship, she moved to Rochester from Milwaukee WI in August 2021 to pursue a degree in music. She started playing the cello at 8 years old and began taking voice lessons shortly after. Before graduating from Franklin High School she was very involved in the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra as principal cellist of Senior Symphony, and she was a leading actress for First Stage Children's Theater and a part of the nationally recognized pre-professional actors training program; Young Company. Abby has competed and placed in several national and regional vocal competitions such as; Hal Leonard, NATS, Schmidt, Chicagoland, and Civic Music. As an Ecuadorian-American she is the first in her family to pursue a career in music, and is very grateful to her family, friends, and God, for all the love and support. 

Jiabao Guo

Bass

Jiabao Guo, a choral conductor from Beijing, China, will start his master study at Eastman School of Music. In 2023, Jiabao graduated from Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and received his Bachelor's degree in Music Education. During his five years of university studies, he served as the conductor of the choir at the Music Education Institute, responsible for conducting the choir in daily rehearsals. In addition, he founded the “Crescent a cappella group” in 2018 and served as leader. Aside from being a conductor, Jiabao is also a pianist, he started to learn piano at the age of four, and has won multiple international competition awards. He believes that music is interconnected, and that his piano music experience will help him in the choral field.

In 2020, Jiabao studied Kodály Method at Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. There, he not only gained rich experience in choral conducting, but also completed his studies with a full A score. After returning to Beijing, Jiabao applied what he had learned and devoted himself to incorporating Kodály Method into choir conducting, and rearranged several choral works.

In recent years, Jiabao participated in a large number of performances, such as the World Choir Concert at Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the Graduation Choir Concert at the Central Conservatory of Music, and 2020 Mid Autumn Festival Choir Concert organized by the Chinese Embassy in Hungary. He believes that Knowledge is infinite, and will continue to devote his greatest passion to choir.

Eleni Nicholas

Soprano

Eleni Nicholas is pursuing a degree in vocal performance at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies under Robert Swensen. As a transfer student to Eastman, Eleni previously attended UNC-Greensboro, where she began her collegiate voice study under Carla LeFevre and Robert Wells. When she visits her hometown in North Carolina, she takes occasional lessons with her high school voice teacher, Elizabeth Linnartz.

Eleni has participated in two vocal competitions, scoring 1st place in the North Carolina Classical NATS Upper High School Division (February 2020) and receiving 3rd place at the Mid-Atlantic Region NATS SingOff Round of First Year Classical Treble Voice (Spring 2021). Eleni is also a pianist, and between 2009-2019 she competed in 5 North Carolina state-wide piano competitions (NCMTA & Young Artist), receiving a Superior rating at each one.

In the Summer of 2023, Eleni made her European voice debut in Arona, Italy. While in Italy, she worked with many prestigious faculty, including Hemdi Kfir, Janet Perry, Chris Merritt, and Elizabeth Norberg-Schultz. After receiving her degree from Eastman, Eleni wishes to further her vocal studies in Italy.

Chris Farnum

Baritone

I am a lifelong Episcopalian and have sung in church choirs since my childhood. In addition, I have had the opportunity over the years, to sing in several other groups and even to be a part of the musical Evita! put on by the Blackfriars. The role of a church choir is to support and enhance the experience of our life in a community of faith. It is my hope to be a positive part of that effort.

Scott Hobson

Bass

Scott Hobson is a Baritone/Bass who has spent the majority of his life singing. He grew up attending multiple Episcopal churches, and started his vocal career at the age of eight years old, singing Soprano in the choir at Christ Church Bordentown. A few years later, he sang with the American Boychoir School for a summer season, and attended the NJ Choir Camp hosted by the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey during his transition from Soprano to Tenor and eventually Baritone. In lieu of a traditional high school, Scott attended a Vocational Technical school for performing arts, located in Ocean County, New Jersey, aptly named the Performing Arts Academy. During his high school years, Scott performed in musicals and plays, most notably as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast in his freshman year. During this time he also sang as a paid section leader at St. Peter’s in Freehold and later Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park. Scott graduated valedictorian of the Grunin Performing Arts Academy’s class of 2021, after which he attended Ocean County College for their engineering program. He continued to sing professionally, for Alan Robinson at Trinity Church in Red Bank, and returned for one season for Stephen Bearse at Christ Church Bordentown, more than a decade after his original debut.

Scott graduated from Ocean County College with an associate’s degree in engineering in the spring of 2023, and is currently attending Rochester Institute of Technology in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.