William Buthod

William Buthod, Organist and Associate Musician at St Thomas Aquinas, began performing as a classical pianist, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1994, he won the Tulsa Young Pianist competition. In 1997 he won the Tulsa Young Artist Competition, which gave him the opportunity to debut as soloist with the Tulsa Philharmonic. He formed a piano trio which performed jazz around Oklahoma and opened for the Count Basie Orchestra in 1998. That same year, Buthod won first place in the Albert Schweitzer National Organ Competition in Connecticut.

Mr. Buthod attended Hunter College in New York City, where he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music, and continued to work as a keyboard player, church musician and composer. He performed concerts in the Tri-State area, was featured in the American Guild of Organists magazine, and appeared on a Master’s Series video, released by the AGO. 

He has performed with or recorded for such artists as Jimmy Heath, Denyce Graves, Ben Vereen, Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Mashonda, Maiysha, and Autumn. He recently recorded a live album with Grammy-nominated performer Maiysha at the Blue Note. He has played for such well-known preachers as the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Timothy Wright, the Rev. Johnny Ray Youngblood, and Bishop Albert Jamison, Jr. His jazz trio performs around New York in clubs and concert series. In addition, he became involved in the New York gospel music scene, playing in churches in Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx, and earning a place as pianist for the Harlem Gospel Choir. 

Mr. Buthod moved back to New York City in 2006 and was named Artist-in-Residence at the Church of the Holy Trinity in NYC. From 2006-2011, he served as Minister of Music at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in Brooklyn, Organist at the Bronx Seventh-Day Adventist Church.