Praised as “extraordinary in the classical music world” by PBS Wisconsin Life and a “musical star” by Channel 3000, Greg Zelek is one of today’s most innovative and engaging organists. He serves as Principal Organist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Curator of the Overture Concert Organ, where he oversees all organ programming and performs a popular concert series that regularly draws audiences of more than one thousand attendees. Since 2017, he has held the Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curatorship. In addition, Zelek is Curator of the Organ Series for the Jacksonville Symphony and, beginning in 2024, serves as Northrop Organist at the University of Minnesota.

A sought-after soloist, Zelek performs throughout the United States, presenting ambitious programs entirely from memory. His recent appearances include concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in San Diego and Jacoby Symphony Hall in Jacksonville, as well as performances and masterclasses at the Oregon Bach Festival. He has performed many of the great works of the organ repertoire while also championing contemporary compositions that highlight the instrument’s versatility and expressive range.

As an orchestral soloist, Zelek has performed concertos by Barber, Poulenc, Rheinberger, and Jongen, and has appeared in major symphonic works including Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony, Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, Strauss’s Alpine Symphony, and Respighi’s Pines of Rome.

Known for imaginative programming and genre-crossing collaborations, Zelek has partnered with artists ranging from countertenor Reginald Mobley and cellist Thomas Mesa to electronic trombonist Mark Hetzler and the Canadian Brass. A Cuban-American and native Spanish speaker, he was named one of The Diapason magazine’s “20 Under 30” organists and is a recipient of the inaugural Kovner Fellowship. He earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Artist Diploma degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied with renowned organist Paul Jacobs.