We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Tony Payne as Composer-in-Residence at Camerata Chicago!

Dr. and Mrs. Payne at our Benefit Concert, Reception and Dinner on September 14, 2024

Dr. Tony Payne, was until July 2024 Associate Professor of Music, Director of Arts Events Management and General Manager of the highly successful Wheaton College Artist Series for 45 years, bringing some of the world’s greatest performing artists to the Wheaton College campus, including the Camerata Chicago Chamber Orchestra.

Prof. Payne has also been involved with the founding of Wheaton’s Arts4Ministry program and engages widely in music for Christian worship from Evangelical and Protestant to Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox. He was Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, Wheaton from 1993-2013, and organist at Wheaton Bible Church since 2018.

He holds degrees in music composition from Wheaton College, Bowling Green State University, and a Doctor of Music degree in composition from Northwestern University School of Music.

Dr. Tony Payne, Composer-in-Residence

His earliest compositions were inspired by his participation in the Bedford band program with David Tolly, Leonard Salvo and his dear friend, Paul Stanifer, the Bedford choir program with C. David Parker, also the music program of First Baptist Church, Temperance. He served the church in various ways, particularly under the ministry of his lifelong friend Dr. Robert Wisehart, and of Pauline Tolly (Bedford Alliance Church) and her mother, organist Elizabeth Williams. On Saturday mornings, he pestered Mrs.

Williams with questions about the organ during her rehearsal time, so much so that she sometimes struggled to be patient! Among all of these mentors, Tony found the inspiration to pursue a career and a life in music. After his advanced degrees, he returned to his alma mater, Wheaton College and has used that treasured assignment as a springboard to countless opportunities around the world from Auckland, New Zealand to Moscow, Russia.

At Wheaton, Tony Payne taught arranging, orchestration, electronic music and composition during his long tenure at the College’s Conservatory of Music. He has also served the Wheaton College Chapel Program as pianist, organist and worship leader on countless occasions. As a lifelong contributor to Christian worship, he has composed and published over 100 psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that are available in a spiral-bound book form.

Dr. Tony Payne Photo Credit Kayla Smith