Kitchener native Alexander Straus-Fausto began piano studies at age four and organ lessons at 14. His early organ teachers included Christian Lane, Thomas Bara, Dr. Peter Nikiforuk and Joe Carrère. He completed his secondary school studies at Michigan’s prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and is currently a third-year organ performance student at the McGill University Schulich School of Music, where he studies with Jonathan Oldengarm (also a K-W native) and Hans-Ola Ericsson. Alex is a recent recipient of the school’s 2020-21 John Grew award for excellence in organ performance.
While still a teenager, Alex undertook a very successful Canada Council-funded summer 2019 concert tour of the UK, playing in historic churches and cathedrals. He has also performed on many landmark instruments across Canada and the U.S. In fall 2019, he was appointed Titular Organist-in-Residence at the prestigious Église du Très-Saint-Nom-de-Jésus in Montréal, whose four-manual, 120-rank Casavant organ is acclaimed as one of Canada’s finest.
In addition to international performing, he has taken lessons with some of the greatest names in the organ world, including Olivier Latry, Johann Vexo, Vincent Dubois, Philippe Lefèbvre, and Paul Jacobs.
Alex’s broad repertoire ranges from early 15th-century keyboard music to contemporary works. He has further expanded the organ’s reach by creating more than 50 original transcriptions of major orchestral works, reflecting his passion for the symphonic organ as a virtually unlimited medium for artistic expression.
