Caleb Bates is a pianist, organist, composer, and arranger currently based in Northern Virginia teaching piano and composition here at The Catoctin School of Music in Leesburg VA. He is also an accomplished church musician, both as pianist and organist and currently as Director of Music at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in Purcellville, VA.

Prior to his college career, he was also a CSM alum studying with several past faculty here! He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Composition from Ithaca College, where he studied piano under Vadim Serybryany, organ under Jean Radice and Matthew Hall, and music composition under Jorge Grossman and Evis Sammoutis. He has had several composition premieres in venues around Ithaca NY, collaborating with visiting groups such as Ensemble C Barrè and Sparks & Wiry Cries, and masterclasses with guest composers Stefano Gervasoni and Robert Dick.

Although Caleb’s primary training has been in classical music, he has had many performance engagements with vocalists including styles such as Musical Theater, Art Song, Jazz and Big Band. He is also a recitalist, having given solo organ and piano recitals in the surrounding Ithaca area, and performed collaboratively with both instrumentalists and vocalists both in the Ithaca area and in the DMV. As a musician and teaching artist, his goal is to grow a safe and nurturing environment where all students can build their confidence, grow their curiosity, and feel empowered in their practice and on stage.