Eastman Bunch XVII
April 12, 2026
Abigail Crafton is a second year undergraduate Organ Performance major in the studio of Nathan Laube at the Eastman School of Music. She has studied piano since the age of three and singing since the age of four. At the age of ten she began to study the organ. In the spring 2023, Abigail won both the local and Southeast Regional division of the American Guild of Organists Quimby Competition. As a result, she performed at the National AGO Convention in San Francisco, CA as a “Rising Star” in the summer of 2024. Abigail was recently a prize winner in the 2023 Baylor University High School Organ Competition and the American Guild of Organists 2024 Young Artist Competition in Columbia, SC. In early 2025, Abigail had the honor of performing a concert with the Canadian Brass. Abigail is a frequent recitalist and was previously the Organ Scholar at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, GA from 2022-2024. Abigail’s former teachers include Doug Brown and Dr. Paul Thornock.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Charles Francis is a first-year doctoral student in the studio of Prof. Nathan Laube. His undergraduate studies were at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, UK, where he studied with Daniel Moult and Nicholas Wearne. He is no stranger to Eastman, completing his master’s degree in 2025 and making his first appearance with the Eastman Bunch in 2024. He is Assistant Organist at Third Presbyterian Church, Rochester and organist to the Schola Cantorum at Christ Church, Rochester. Charles has performed in the US, Canada, UK and Germany; and he has performed live on both British and American radio broadcasts.
Camden Hulsey is a 1st year undergraduate in the studio of David Higgs pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Music in Organ Performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Camden began his organ journey at the age of 15 when his former piano teacher, and Eastman alum, brought up learning the organ during a lesson; and from there on the organ has been the focus of Camden’s life. Not long after, Camden became the Assistant Organist of Sacred Heart Cathedral of the Diocese of Rochester where he continues working today.
Named one of The Diapason’s “20 Under 30,” Andrew Johnson plans to one day teach and inspire the next generation of performers, academics, and church musicians. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, he is currently pursuing a DMA degree in Organ Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, where he studies with David Higgs. His previous degrees are from the Peabody Conservatory and Illinois Wesleyan University. His performance competition credits include earning second place in the Sursa American Organ Competition (2022), first place in the inaugural James M. Weaver Prize in Organ Scholarship (2023) and being a finalist (2024) and semifinalist (2026) in the AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance. Andrew currently serves as Director of Music and Organist at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Pittsford, New York.
Originally from Hong Kong, Jasmine Ngai graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2024, where she started studying organ with Dr. Anne Lam, and vocal with soprano Yuki Ip. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music Scholarship for her current pursuit of a Master of Music in Organ Performance and Literature at Eastman School of Music, in the studio of David Higgs. Jasmine performed in masterclasses held by organists Andrew Cantrill-Fenwick and Christian Schmitt, soprano Xi Wang and mezzo-soprano Carol Lin. During her undergraduate years, Jasmine served as an assistant organist at the Chung Chi College Chapel of the university. She was also the vice president of the Music Department Student Society. During summer 2024, she performed in masterclasses of Wolfgang Zerer and Leo van Doeselaar in Haarlem, as well as that of Jean-Baptiste Monnot in Rouen. She was awarded a Second prize at the 2025 Hong Kong Chapter AGO Young Organist Competition. Meanwhile, as an avid chorister, she performed frequently as a member of the Chung Chi Choir at university and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus. Currently, she sings in the Schola Cantorum at Christ Church under Stephen Kennedy.
Timothe Stewart is an exchange student from the UK studying with Nathan Laube at the Eastman School of Music. Since arriving he has been regularly called upon to accompany both instrumental and choral ensembles on the piano and organ.
In the UK, Timothy studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire after being awarded the DMC McDonald Foundation Scholarship Award. At the Conservatoire, he is studying for a BMus in Organ Performance under the tutelage of Daniel Moult and Nicholas Wearne, as well as receiving regular coaching from visiting tutors such as Pier Damiano Peretti and Erwan le Prado.
Timothy has enjoyed competition success after being awarded first prize at the IAO-RCO Organ Competition, with the final taking place at York Minster (2024); the London Organ Competition held in St Clement Danes church, London (2023); the Leonard Gibbons Organ Competition which was held at St Chads Cathedral, Birmingham( 2024); and 2nd prize at the Kent County Organ Competition (2024).
He is also active as a recitalist and gives recitals in venues across the UK, most notably Westminster Abbey in (2024). Timothy has held positions at both Chichester and Birmingham Cathedrals (St Philips) and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
Augustine Sobeng is a native of Shama in the Western Region of Ghana. He holds a BSc. in Medical Laboratory Technology (2010-2014) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (K.N.U.S.T), Kumasi-Ghana. While there, he served as Organist and Choirmaster for the University Choir. After his undergraduate study, he served as the Principal Organist for the Harmonious Chorale-Ghana. He took the theory and practical exams of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), culminating with a diploma certificate, with distinction, in the 2018 Organ exam.
In 2019, Augustine received admission under a VPA Fellowship award to study for his Masters in Organ Performance in the studio of Dr. Annie Laver. He is currently pursuing his DMA in Organ Performance and Literature, in the studio of Nathan Laube, at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, and is the organ scholar at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rochester.
He was named to The Diapason’s 2021 class of 20 under 30. In May 2021, he won first prize in the ‘solo instrumental work’ category for the Setnor Outstanding Artists’ Competition at Syracuse University. In 2024 he was awarded the James B. Cochran Award for his outstanding DMA recital.
Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Julianne Zhu came to the United States for college in 2017 and double-majored in music and psychology at Wake Forest University with a minor in German. It was at Wake Forest where Julianne first began playing the organ, studying under Susan Bates. In 2020, Julianne played at the annual Wake Forest Lovefeast; and in 2022, at the inauguration ceremony of President Susan Wente. Julianne received her master’s degree and a Professional Artist Certificate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in the studio of Dr. Timothy Olsen. In the summers of 2022 and 2023, she participated in the Organ Institute at the Oregon Bach Festival, studying under Paul Jacobs. Julianne was Music Intern at Augsburg Lutheran Church and organist at Ardmore Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. She is currently a DMA student in Nathan Laube’s studio at the Eastman School of Music. Besides organ, Julianne is also interested in composition and has recently won first prize at the Rochester Carillon Composition Competition.
William Porter, widely known as a performer in the United States and in Europe, has also achieved international recognition for his skill in improvisation in a wide variety of styles, ancient and modern. He has performed at major international festivals and academies, including the North German Organ Academy, the Italian Academy of Music for the Organ, the Smarano Organ and Clavichord Academy, Organfestival Holland, the Göteborg International Organ Academy, the Dollart Festival, the Lausanne Improvisation Festival, the Festival Toulouse les Orgues, the Boston Early Music Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, the McGill International Organ Academy, Eastman’s Improvfest, and the National Convention of the American Guild of Organists.
Professor of Organ, Harpsichord, and Improvisation at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, from 2002 until his retirement in 2013, he has also been a member of the music faculty at McGill University in Montreal, where he lived from 2004 until fall of 2015. From 1985 to 2002 he taught organ, music history, and music theory at the New England Conservatory in Boston, and from 2001 until 2005 he taught improvisation at Yale University. Porter holds degrees from Oberlin College, where he also taught organ and harpsichord from 1974 to 1986, and from Yale University. He has recorded on historic instruments, old and new, for the Gasparo, Proprius, BMG, and Loft labels. Now residing in Rochester, New York, he has returned to the Eastman School of Music as Adjunct Professor of Organ.
Bill is an Honorary Member of RTOS. This will be his 14th appearance with the “Eastman Bunch.”
