Dramatis Personæ
Trent Buhr • 1997
Trent was born in Iowa, started formal piano lessons at the age of 4, and competed in his first concerto competition at age 13. He received a degree in architecture with a special emphasis in Historical Restoration and Preservation from Iowa State University. During his college studies he studied the carillon and became a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. From an early age he was fascinated by pipe organs and was given the opportunity to apprentice with John Brombaugh and Assoc. in Eugene, OR, learning pipe making and voicing. He then rounded out his knowledge by working for Manuel Rosales in Los Angeles for 2 years. He was self-employed, restoring 2 organs and a concert harp, until moving to Chattanooga in 1997. He spent several years in the pipe shop working with all aspects of pipe making. Currently he is responsible for design and execution of case decoration, from pipe shades to wood graining and gilding. He also works on interior details such as placement and winding of those pesky ‘leftover’ pipes. Outside of the shop, the bulk of his time is devoted to renovating an old house and restoration of fine furniture.
Patrick Fischer • 2006
Patrick grew up in the wilds of South Dakota where an early interest in the organ led him to study organ performance and church music at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. During what was supposed to be a year off before grad school, Patrick worked for Hendrickson Organ Company, an experience which fostered his desire to make a career of organ building. Having a keen interest in organ building from a historical perspective, he continued his apprenticeship at C. B. Fisk, Inc. and specialized in reed voicing before coming to Richards, Fowkes & Co. in 2006. Patrick’s other interests include anything vintage, cars, architecture, weather, the outdoors, cooking, and aviation.
Bruce Fowkes • 1988
Bruce Fowkes is a native of Salt Lake City, UT. He became interested in the organ as a boy after attending a concert at the Mormon Tabernacle. He studied organ with Douglas Bush at Brigham Young University and with James Drake at Utah State University. While studying in Provo he did an apprenticeship with Michael Bigelow & Company. After college he worked in London, England with Matthew Copley where he studied voicing and was able to examine many historic English organs. In 1983 he returned to the U.S. and worked with Michael Bigelow and John Brombaugh & Assoc. where he met and worked with Ralph Richards. Bruce is married to Karla, organist and choirmaster at our Opus 6 in Chattanooga, and has a 16 year old son.
Keaton Fowkes • 2009
Keaton, son of Bruce and Karla, is working at the shop part-time helping with key-action and wrapping pipes. He is 16 and is in tenth grade at the Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences and wants to keep his home and work life separate.
Brian Miscio • 1998
A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Brian moved to the Chattanooga area at the age of 14. He studied classical guitar under Dr. Mario Abril at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Music degree. He began at Richards, Fowkes & Co. in April of 1998 with Opus 7, initially focusing on pre-voicing and cabinetry. Throughout his tenure, he has continued to take on more responsibilities, namely building key systems throughout the organ, such as wind chests and swell boxes, as well as more delicate tasks like pedal boards and inlay. As a trained musician, Brian is grateful for the unique opportunity to channel his musical intuition into both construction and performance. Brian is married to Kara, a pianist and teacher, and the couple have a daughter, Nicolina Rose.
Jesse Mozzini • 2006
Jesse came to us in 2006 as our bookkeeper/business manager to let the organ builders do organ building. He has his own accounting firm called MozziniJustice, Inc., and is an Enrolled Agent (E.A.). He has been an accountant since 1988. (Jesse is up to his eyeballs in numbers and was only able to submit this picture. Remember: Don’t Panic!)
Nate Perry • 2004
Nate Perry came to Richards, Fowkes & Co. in the spring of 2004 after working for Andover Organ Co. and Barger & Nix. Nate is known as the jack of all trades in the shop AKA ‘monkey’ and does anything that needs to be done. He is primarily an apprentice case builder. Nate’s father works for Andover, and his sister works part time there as well. His older brother Nicholas worked for C.B. Fisk until his death in 2002. He and his wife live out in the ‘sticks’ of Tennessee and they love spending time with their four dogs as well as being active in his church youth group. Above all Nate loves the wood working aspect of organ building and the challenges that it brings. He is excited about learning more about the craft and being more proficient in the future years.
Ralph Richards • 1988
Ralph grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. At the age of 15 he started organ lessons with Byron Blackmore, and on the recomendation of Jim Christie, also a student of Blackmore, he studied organ and harpsichord performance with Bill Porter and Lisa Crawford at Oberlin College. While there Ralph became friends with the Brombaugh shop, then located in Germantown, OH. After a short apprenticeship with Brombaugh in Eugene, OR, he and Paul Fritts started their company in Tacoma, WA. After 9 years of work they went separate ways, and Ralph began his partnership with Bruce Fowkes.
Patrick Spiesser • 1992
Patrick Spiesser is from Alsace in northeastern France. In 1977 he started as an apprentice in a carpentry and cabinet shop (Menuiserie Krieger, Duntzenheim, France). After two years he passed the test and became a journeyman. He spent two years at Alfred Wild, Facteur d’Orgues, in Gottenhouse, France. In 1981 he moved on to Manufacture d’Orgues Koenig in Sarre-Union, France. After two years he passed the journeyman test in organbuilding. From 1990 to 1991 he worked on the design, manufacture and presentation before a jury of organ builders, of his masterpiece: a four stop house organ. In 1993 he finished the last test for his diploma and on October 29th 1993 received the title of master organ builder (Maître Facteur d’Orgues). The ten years at Koenig included many restorations of old organs as well as the building of new instruments and maintenance. In October of 1991 he moved to the USA and started working at Richards, Fowkes & Co. at the end of December. He works in all aspects of the trade.
Dean Wilson • 1991
Dean Wilson is originally from Leeds, England where he apprenticed and worked with FJ Rogers for 7 years before joining JW Walker for 4 years becoming pipe shop foreman. In January 1991 he joined Richards, Fowkes & Co. to become head pipe-maker and has been involved in the production of all metal pipes for the company. Dean is active with youth soccer as Director of Coaching of a local association and if he is not on a soccer field then he will probably be on a stool in one of the local bars.
