Concert Program
Festival Piece on “NICEA” - Jerry Westenkuehler (b.1966)
Selections from “Water and Witness” (2026) - Aaron Shows (b.1989)
Beach Spring
Washed and Renewed
Christ is Arisen (the oldest sacred German song, c.1100)
Hymn Tune
J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Harald Rohlig (1926-2014)
“A Tribute to Neil Sedaka (1939-2026)” arr. Shows
Improvisation - Aaron Shows
Film Music Selections - arr. Shows
“Take the Long Way Home” from Breakfast in America - Roger Hodgson (b.1950)
Toccata - Harald Rohlig
Homeward Bound - Paul Simon (b.1941) and Art Garfunkel (b.1941)
What Wondrous Love Is This (2015) - Aaron Shows
Aaron Shows (b.1989) is a Los Angeles-based composer, organist, and pianist originally from Montgomery, Alabama. With a musical background spanning over 30 years, his influences draw from many centuries and styles, from the Baroque era through contemporary genres such as jazz, folk/bluegrass, rock and pop, and also with a particular interest in the evolving forms of film and television music. His original compositions are often performed and well-received across the United States and Europe, and are used in both concert and sacred settings. His recent sacred/concert works include a new hymn (“God the Weaver,” 2024) and accompanying choral anthem and instrumental pieces celebrating the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of FUMC Pasadena, as well as a book of Baptismal hymn arrangements for pipe organ, entitled "Water and Witness," is newly published this year through Augsburg Fortress Publishers, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also a composer of music for films and other media, and recently wrote music for a feature film entitled “Remote” (2025, Amazon Prime) as well as the documentary, “Altadena: The Heart. The Art. The Soul” (2026) which tells the personal stories of the 2025 Altadena wildfires.
As an organist, his performances bridge the traditional and modern, and since 2016, he has served as organist at First United Methodist Church of Pasadena. He is also an active accompanist for local high school and community choral programs, most recently with the California School of the Arts (San Gabriel Valley) and the Arroyo Singers (Pasadena). His organ and piano performances can be heard in major Hollywood films, such as “The Addams Family” (MGM, 2019), “Haunted Mansion” (Disney, 2023), "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (WB, 2024), as well as on streaming, “The Beanie Bubble” (Apple TV, 2023), and “Salem’s Lot” (HBO Max, 2024). Unique recordings can also be heard in Universal's new “EPIC” theme park, the Disney "Treasure" cruise ship, and most recently in the soundtrack to the video game, "Monaco 2."
Aaron holds an MFA in Film Music Composition from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), and a BFA in Church Music from Shenandoah University (Winchester, Virginia). He was a student of Harald Rohlig (piano and organ), Larry Correll (organ), Ann Labounsky (organ), and Stephen Cooksey (organ).
He broadcasts a weekly improvisatory livestream on YouTube, called “Spontaneous Sunday,” featuring piano, pipe organ, Hammond organ, and more! Subscribe to his channel, and tune in Sundays at 5pm PST (youtube.com/AaronShows)
To hear his original music and other recordings, visit aaronshows.bandcamp.com, as well as on your favorite music-streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.)