Joan Lippincott

Who is Joan Lippincott?

Joan Lippincott is an American concert organist and former head of the organ department at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

She was born Joan Edna Hult on December 25, 1935, the daughter of Edna and Frank Hult, in Kearny, New Jersey. Her early keyboard studies were with William Jancovius of Nutley, New Jersey. After attending Kearny High School, she entered Westminster Choir College, where she studied with the renowned Alexander McCurdy. Upon graduation from Westminster Choir College, she gained entrance to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she was again the student of Alexander McCurdy. Following her graduation from the Curtis Institute, she returned to Westminster Choir College to earn her Masters Degree. At the same time, she was hired by Dr. McCurdy to join the keyboard faculty at Westminster.

On June 18, 1960, she married Curtis Lippincott in Bristol Chapel on the campus of Westminster Choir College. At the age of 31, she became the head of the Organ Department at Westminster Choir College, the largest organ department in the world at the time. In 1993 she accepted a position as the Chapel Organist at Princeton University while retaining her position at Westminster. Soon after she realized that the demands of the Princeton Chapel position made it impossible for her to remain the Head of the Westminster Organ Department. From 1993 until 2000, she served as organist for Princeton University Chapel, playing services and accompanying Penna Rose's Chapel Choir as well as presenting frequent organ recitals at the Chapel. In 2000, Ms. Lippincott retired from the position as Princeton Chapel Organist to pursue her recital career. Westminster awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2001. She and her husband Curtis retired to Wellfleet, MA in 2008, where they had maintained a summer home for several years.