Norm Freeman
Yamaha Artist, endorsed by Paiste Cymbals and by Alternate Mode’s MalletKAT
Percussionist, timpanist, educator, and ordained Episcopal priest
He has performed on four Grammy-nominated projects, including the Grammy Award-winning New York Philharmonic recording of Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in d minor, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Norm, a veteran of the Streisand rhythm section, played on “Barbra Streisand – Live in Concert 2006” which won an Emmy for music director, Bill Ross.
Norm’s musical career includes performances with the New York Philharmonic, Barbra Streisand’s 1994, 2006 and 2012 Concert Tours, as well as her 2007 and 2013 European Tours. He performed with Jessye Norman / Kathleen Battle in their “Spirituals Concert”; is Principle Timpanist with the New York Pops; performed for the “MTV Music Video Awards”; Saturday Night Live with Pavarotti and Vanessa Williams; "Metallica in Concert"; performed in numerous Broadway shows; performed for the New York premiere of Paul McCartney’s "Standing Stone" with the Orchestra of St. Luke, and Jessye Norman’s Christmas CD, “In the Spirit.”
On October 22, 2004 he performed the world premiere of Pulitzer prize winning composer, Melinda Wagner’s “57 / 7 Dash” at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops under the direction of Skitch Henderson. Maestro Henderson commissioned the work, featuring Norm and the orchestra’s percussion section.
In 1999 the Jazz Vespers that Norm began at St. Paul’s inspired a full-page story in the Sunday edition of The New York Times entitled, Where Music and the Ministry Merge. One of the highlights since then was Fr. Norm and his quartet performing for three thousand people at the midday Eucharist for a General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Norm also served as music director and spiritual advisor for the National Church’s creation and recording of new music resources for liturgy composed by teens and young adults. The name of the project is “MiX” or “Music in Christ.”
Norm served for eleven years as Percussion Department chair at Mannes College of Music—a division of the New School for Social Research in Manhattan.
Fr. Norm has held positions in the Church in Greenwich Connecticut, Santa Barbara, Laguna and in Los Angeles.
Norm earned Bachelor’s and Master’s of music degrees from The Juilliard School, and was ordained an Episcopal priest following graduation with a Master of Divinity degree from the General Theological Seminary, New York.