Our People
The artisans who choose Parsons as the means of engaging in their life’s work do so because they have an innate desire to be a part of something that transcends the ordinary. Once involved, they develop a passion that comes only to those who are driven to create instruments of great beauty and who commit themselves to reach for perfection through the artistry of their craft. Those who design, construct and give voice to the organs built by Parsons find true satisfaction in their work. In the process, they become cherished colleagues and friends.
Richard Parsons
PRESIDENT
Richard Parsons
Ric Parsons serves as President and Artistic Director at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He began his pipe organ career at a very early age and is a fourth generation organ builder. After receiving degrees in electronic and biomedical engineering technologies in 1979, he and his brother Calvin purchased the firm established by their grandfather in 1921. Ric has overseen the design and execution of each of the firm’s instruments. This has included a broad range of projects, ranging from new mechanical-action organs, to historically based restorations. In addition to 43 years of practical experience, Ric has travelled extensively throughout the US as well as to Italy and France to visit significant instruments.
Ric is a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO) where he has lectured on two occasions as part of their annual educational conferences. He is a current board member and has served as Vice President, and as Secretary of the Institute. In addition, Ric is a past President of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) and has held the office of Vice President. Ric is also a contributor to the Journal of American Organbuilding and The American Organist.
Ric is married with three children, two of whom work in the family business, and fills much of his free time with his three grandchildren. He enjoys volunteering at his church and working endless hours on the business.
Calvin Parsons
VICE PRESIDENT
Calvin Parsons
Cal serves as Vice President and Director of Field Services at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He began his pipe organ career at a very early age and is a fourth generation organ builder. Cal received his degree in electronic technology in 1979, and with his brother Richard, purchased the family business in 1979. Cal is responsible for all of the service and tuning work for the firm. He oversees many of the rebuilding projects, and maintains the organs for approximately 250 contract clients.
Calvin is a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders and has served on several committees. Cal is married and has two grown children.
Duane Prill
TONAL DIRECTOR
Duane Prill
Duane has served as Tonal Director for Parsons since 1991. He has been responsible for scaling, voicing, and tonal finishing their instruments beginning with Opus 5. While Duane feels that voicing pipe organs is an ongoing educational process, he credits early influence on his work to collaborative and satisfying projects with organbuilder/voicer Manuel Rosales.
Duane obtained his M. M. degree in Organ Performance from The Eastman School of Music where he studied with Russell Saunders, and his B. M. degree from Ohio Wesleyan University where he studied with Robert A. Griffith. Prior to attending Ohio Wesleyan, Duane studied with Gloria Wendel in his home town of Van Wert, Ohio. Post-graduate studies were with David Craighead.
Duane currently serves as Principal Organist for Asbury First United Methodist Church, Rochester, NY, a position he has held since 1996. He has has been invited to dedicate many Parsons instruments, and has performed throughout the United States and Europe. He also had served as accompanist for various choral groups in and around Rochester, including the Rochester Oratorio Society, Madrigalia, and Concentus.
Currently a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders, Duane has served as vice-president of that organization. He has served as Dean and Sub Dean of the Rochester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. His compact disc entitled, “Celebrate!” Music for Two Trumpets and Organ, was recorded at the University of Rochester Interfaith Chapel where he served as Organist and staff member.
Peter Geise
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Peter Geise
Peter Geise serves in various capacities at Parsons, from Tuning Foreman to New Organ Assembly and Historic Restoration. He graduated from Houghton College in 2000 with a B.Mus. in Organ Performance as a student of Dr. Judy Congdon, and from the Eastman School of Music in 2002 with a M.M. in Organ Performance as a student of Dr. Hans Davidsson. Following this he spent a year in Sweden as a student at Göteborgs Universitet. His thesis focused on the history of the Italian Baroque organ purchased by Eastman, which has since been installed at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, NY. While in Sweden he worked at GOArt learning about some of the processes of historic organ building discovered during the reconstruction of a 17th century North German-style organ.
Peter is a member of the Rochester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and American Institute of Organbuilders. Peter is currently serving as Music Minister at the Lima Presbyterian Church, Lima, NY, where he directs the adult choir as well as plays the organ for Sunday services.
David McCleary
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
David McCleary
David McCleary joined Parsons as a Project Manager in 2011. He is a highly skilled professional trained in areas of process architecture and elongated sales cycles with an emphasis on collaborative relationships. Dave has previously served as National Manager and Vice-President of Sales and Marketing in firms associated the commercial decorative arts industry and has extensive experience in the field of pipe organs.
Dave holds memberships in several chapters of the American Guild of Organists, and is committed to furthering the resurgence of the pipe organ as the superior liturgical musical instrument.
Matt Parsons
PROJECT MANAGER
Matt Parsons
Matt Parsons is an Organ Builder at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. Matt has many responsibilities at Parsons from tuning and service work, re-leathering, historic restoration, and new organ building and assembly. After serving in the U S Air Force from 1998 to 2002, Matt graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Keuka College in 2004.
Matt has been a member of the American Institute of Organbuilders since 2006 and has served on the Board and as Vice President of the organization. Matt is also active in the Rochester NY chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). Matt has been on the Board since 2016 and served as Dean of the chapter in 2020. Matt is currently serving as Commander of the Canandaigua American Legion Post 256. Matt, along with the involvement of the Parsons’ staff, is the Curator of Organs at the Eastman School of Music.
Matt is the proud father of a six year old German Shepherd named Dexter. Matt is married to a lovely lady named Jen who adores him.
Matt has a love of music and plays the piano and saxophone. When Matt isn’t working you can find him traveling, walking his dog, tending to his gardens, watching “The Office” for the 38th time, investigating a part-time career in politics, losing weight, writing comedy, reading, or listening to his favorite band Journey.
Tim Parsons
PROJECT MANAGER
Tim Parsons
Tim is a Project Manager at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders and a fifth-generation member of the Parsons family to work for the company. He has been part of the team for over 15 years, with a connection that goes back even further, having first worked there as a teenager. Tim also holds a degree in Graphic Design from Hodges University in Ft. Myers, Florida. With a wide range of experience and a hands-on approach, he helps keep projects moving smoothly and isn’t afraid to step in wherever he’s needed.
He especially enjoys the process of building pipe organs, appreciating that each project brings its own unique challenges and opportunities to learn. He has attended several American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO) conferences and looks forward to continuing his work in the craft for decades to come.
Outside of work, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife, their three kids, and their dog. He enjoys golfing, boating, fishing, skiing, and watching sports (go Bills and Yankees), and stays active coaching youth baseball while also cheering on his daughters at their dance competitions.
Ellen Parsons
BUSINESS MANAGER
Ellen Parsons
Ellen joined Parsons Pipe Organ Builders in 1981 and has performed many tasks including tuning assistant and installation crew member. She has been the Business Manager for the past 30-some years.
Married with three grown sons, she enjoys spending her spare time with her three young grandchildren and volunteering at church.
Jay Slover
Jay Slover
Jay joined Parsons in 2004 as a woodworker. He has done outstanding detail work, turning turrets and wood carvings. In his spare time he likes wood carving and working with all types of wood, hunting, fishing, gardening, reading old woodworking magazines and bird watching. Jay is married with two grown daughters, one attending University and one who was recently married.
Aaron Feidner
Aaron Feidner
Aaron has been working with Parsons June, 2005. He is primarily a woodworker but is also very versatile and has contributed in restorations, re-leathering, and mechanical key action projects. He is married with three young children. When he’s not playing with his kids, he is a Star Trek enthusiast, enjoys wood carving and model making. He attends a local church near his home in beautiful, historic Naples, NY.
Joseph Borrelli
Joseph Borrelli
Joe has been providing valuable talent as a Tuning Foreman since he joined the company in February 2014. Joe has an A.S. in Music and an A.S. in Music Recording Technology. He has been involved in instrumental and vocal music since the age of 5. He is married with two children and lives in Lyons, NY.
Aaron Grabowski
Aaron Grabowski
Aaron is a Tuning Foreman and organbuilder at Parsons. He joined the firm in 2013. Aaron holds a Bachelor in Organ Performance from SUNY at Buffalo and studied with Michael Burke and David Fuller. He is organist at Medina, St Mary’s Church, and a member of the American Institute of Organbuilders.
Aaron is also an avid re-enactor who regularly volunteers with his family at Old Fort Niagara, Youngstown, NY, portraying a French Royal Artillerist of the French and Indian War era. He is a member of Artillery Niagara and Campagné LeBeouff.
Bernard Talty II
Bernard Talty II
Bernie Talty grew up in Victor, New York. Now residing in Canandaigua, he is a music teacher/tutor for drums and percussion, guitar, bass, violin, cello, piano, banjo, and other music related devices. He has fabrication and design background based in plastics, specifically acrylics.
He also makes fine handcrafted pizza. These, with other attributes, make him a fine addition to the Parsons team.
Travis Tones
Travis Tones
Travis is the Electrical Systems Engineer at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He joined the Parsons team in 2017, bringing extensive experience in organ tuning, maintenance, and restoration from the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. He graduated from St. John Fisher College in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.
Since joining Parsons, Travis has worked both in the field and in the shop, gaining hands-on experience in many aspects of organ building. Today, he works in the Design Department, where he helps develop new instruments, coordinate material ordering, and plan the electrical systems that support each project.
Travis enjoys the problem-solving side of organ building and appreciates that each instrument brings its own unique challenges. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, their two children, and their two dogs, as well as watching and coaching his son’s sports teams.
Derek Bommelje
Derek Bommelje
Having graduated from college in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in art/graphic design, Derek spent just over ten years as a Prepress Specialist at a stationary company. Then, during a two-year period as a full-time stay-at-home-dad, Derek’s family encouraged him to pursue a career path involving his life-long passion—the pipe organ. He joined Parsons in 2019, as a service apprentice learning about organ building, tuning and servicing. More recently he has also taken on the responsibility of keeping up with Parsons’ website and Facebook Page.
Married with three young kids, Derek enjoys spending his time with his family, making art, playing the organ, watching movies, as well as collecting and listening to music. In fact, he has nearly 800 discs in his organ recordings collection.
Brian Ebert
Brian Ebert
Brian joined Parsons in 2019 as a CNC Router Operator/Woodworker. Brian attended Monroe Community College for Precision Machining and has been involved with CNC routers for 10 years with a background in cutting plastics and wood. Brian enjoys his time with his family, woodworking, and the outdoors. He is married and lives in Macedon, NY with their 2 year old Golden Retriever named Gracie.
Kelly Cleveland
Kelly Cleveland
Kelly’s fascination with pipe organs began at age 15 when he built a single-rank direct electric organ, combining his interests of music and woodworking. At 16, he started studying organ performance with Annette Richards in Ithaca, NY. During his final year of high school, he built a mechanical-action organ with hand-operated bellows using reclaimed metal pipes.
In 2017, he enrolled at Rochester Institute of Technology to study furniture design and woodworking. For his final project, he built a two-stop tracker organ, crafting all the mechanical parts, the keyboard, and 90 wood pipes by hand.
After graduating, Cleveland joined our team here at Parsons, where he continues to refine his woodworking skills while working on pipe organs in a variety of capacities. Recently he has been using this experience in our Design department, helping make the drawings that we use to build our instruments.
Jake Koelling
Jake Koelling
Jake joined the team here at Parsons in 2021. He came with a jack-of-all trades background, from garbageman to (more recently) machinist. Jake has been learning about all aspects of pipe organ building but particularly prides himself on his ability to leather our reservoirs and wedge bellows. Recently, with Parsons’ acquisition of Ektralamp, Jake is now the main machinist and handles all the assembly of the lights.
When not at work, Jake enjoys video games, nature, and fast cars. But it is his love of food that is most apparent. We can count on Jake to make us all hungry well before lunch and scout out restaurants for us to visit—well in advance of any of our installation trips!
Lane Priest
Lane Priest
Lane was born in Texas in 1998. His family made their move to New York in 2000 where Lane spent most of his time playing outside and enjoying a handful of sports. Lane is a special case. He spent the last five years working as a roofer and found out about Parsons by doing work on our shop roof. He has always loved music. His main instrument is the drums which landed him a spot in the Buffalo Bills Drumline for the 2018 season. Lane started here at Parsons in October of 2022 as the Organ Electrician and absolutely loves it and hopes to make a lifelong career building and tuning pipe organs.
Dale Smith
Dale Smith
Dale has been working for Parsons off and on over the years and brings his skills to our woodshop where he helps in the creation of many of the parts that go into our pipe organs.
When not at work, Dale is renovating a cabin just outside of East Bloomfield.
Ryett Boni
Rhyett Boni
Ryett has a passion for the piano; his impressive skills were all self-taught. Those skills have been a great asset when Ryett joined our team back in 2022, spending much of his time learning about organ servicing and tuning, while also contributing his skills with various aspects of the building of our new instruments.
Sam Miller
Sam Miller
Sam, the youngest member of the team here at Parsons, started in 2025, jumping right into the woodshop with work on Opus 57. While Sam’s work has been excellent there, he expressed interest in learning more about all aspects of organ building and recently moved out into the main shop to help with the assembly of our Opus 58, where he is proving himself to be a valuable member of our team.
