Lynn Arthur Koch

Lynn Arthur Koch (b. 1954) received his Bachelor's degree in 1976 from the Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam, NY), where he studied composition with Elliot Del Borgo and theory with Clive Henery. He received his Master's degree in 1981 from Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ), where he co-organized a Student Composers Forum in 1980. He was a public school vocal music teacher for over 30 years, first in Trenton, NJ and then in Cincinnatus, NY. He retired from teaching full time in 2016. He has been an organist and choir director at McGrawville Baptist Church (McGraw, NY) since 1990, and has composed and arranged many pieces for the church, as well as for his school and various folk ensembles. He has published three volumes of organ works, four choral pieces, and one work for piano duet.

Koch is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), and has been a recipient of the ASCAPlus Award for many years. In 2022, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Music, presented by Cortland Arts Connect, an arts promotion organization based in Cortland County, NY.

Koch is also an avid collector of folk music and instruments, and performs traditional and old-time music regularly at regional festivals and libraries. He lives on a small farm in Central New York with his wife, Deborah. They have five children.