Dr. Shelby Fisher is Organist and Director of Music at Christ United Methodist Church and currently serves as Dean of the Salt Lake City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. As a performer, Dr. Fisher is known for imaginative programming that highlights works by women composers alongside lesser-known repertoire. She has appeared in recitals throughout the United States, including performances at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe, National City Christian Church, and has performed as a featured soloist with the American West Symphony.
 

Dr. Fisher’s scholarly work explores the intersections of American sacred music and performance practice. She is the author of Tracy Y. Cannon, Tabernacle Organist and Pioneering Musician, 1879–1961, published by Signature Books, a study examining the development of Latter-day Saint hymnody, “art music,” cultural taste, and music education during the first half of the twentieth century. Her research has appeared in The Diapason and Sacred Music.
 

A native of Salt Lake City, she began her musical training as a chorister in the inaugural class of the Choir School of the Cathedral of the Madeleine. She was awarded the first Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Utah, where she studied with Kenneth Udy, and later became the first recipient of the university’s Master of Music degree in Organ Performance. She subsequently earned a second master’s degree in elementary education and taught in the Washington D.C. area before completing the Doctor of Sacred Music degree, with research focused on the influence of religious belief on musical performance practice.
 

Dedicated to teaching musicians of all ages, Dr. Fisher also maintains a thriving private studio whose students have received numerous honors and awards. A special joy in her musical life is collaborating with her three daughters in performances featuring flute, violin, and viola.