Eve Sliwinski, Director of Music Ministries

Eve became the Director of Music in September 2004. She has been a member of the staff at First Congregational since 1998, having previously served as the Director of Children's Music. Eve earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Denver and a Masters in Choral Music from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. She taught public school music and directed church choirs in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Maryland, Georgia and Massachusetts. Eve's family includes her husband Tom, two adult sons, and the family's standard poodle, Beau. She and Tom enjoy traveling, skiing, attending a wide variety of musical events, and friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Charles Carr, Organist and Director of Adult Choirs

Charlie has been the organist at First Congregational Church since June of 2007. In September of 2008 he also became the Director of Adult Choirs. Charlie served on the music faculty at Laurel School and was the Organist and Choirmaster Christ Episcopal Church, Shaker Heights. His academic background includes a BA in Music from Dartmouth College, a Masters Degree in Musicology from Western Reserve University and a Doctorate in Choral Conducting from Indiana University. Charlie and his wife Jan live in Chagrin Falls. They have two adult children. Charlie enjoys bicycling in the metroparks and singing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. During the fall of 2008, he will also serve as guest conductor of the Singers' Club of Cleveland.

 

 

 

 

 

Chaiwen Wu , Assistant Organist

A native of Taiwan, Chiawen received her undergraduate musical training at Tung-Hai University. She came to the United States in 1998 and studied piano and organ at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Cleveland State University, and has earned Masters degrees in both instruments. In 2001 she won the CSU piano concerto competition and in June 2007 was one of twelve persons in the United States to win acceptance as an Associate of the American Guild of Organists. Chiawen continues her piano studies at CIM independently. She is an active performer of chamber music and teaches private piano and organ lessons.