William H. Atwood is Organist and Diocesan Director of Music Ministry at the Cathedral Parish of Bridgeport. This encompasses the Saint Augustine Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Church. Previously Dr. Atwood was Director of Music and Organist at Saint Catherine of Siena Church in Trumbull, Connecticut. Before coming to Connecticut he was Director of Music and Coordinator of Liturgical Ministries at All Saints Church in Manassas, Virginia, in addition to serving as an assisting organist for daily and weekend liturgies at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.
A native of Connecticut, Dr. Atwood received the Bachelor of Music Degree magna cum laude from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, a Master of Music Degree in Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Sacred Music from The Catholic University of American in Washington, D.C. At Catholic University, Dr. Atwood studied organ with Edward Alan Moore and Ronald Stolk, and choral conducting/sacred music with Leo Nestor. Dr. Atwood was the recipient of the 2001 Elaine Rendler Scholarship, the 2007 Koinonia Scholarship, the 2008 Cardinal DiNardo Scholarship, the 2009 Steven C. Warner Scholarship, the 2010 NPM Members Scholarship and the 2012 Perrot Scholarship through though the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. He was also the 2001 recipient of the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for the study of church music and was a Magi Scholar at The Catholic University of America.
Recent organ recital engagements have included performances at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, and the 2008 Eastern Regional Convention of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. As a composer, Dr. Atwood’s works are published by CanticaNova Publications, GIA Publications and World Library Publications.