We at Mount Lebanon Lutheran Church do a great deal of singing in worship and we do believe it to be another form of prayer. The worship experience is enhanced through a wide range of musical forms that include traditional hymns, more recent songs of praise, and a range of instrumental music. Our fine Fratelli Ruffatti pipe organ leads us in worship, and the choirs complement that musical leadership.
The Chancel Choir is open to adults (from high school and beyond) and rehearses on Wednesday evenings. We welcome you to join the choir which alternates singing at the 8:30 am and 10:00 am weekly Sunday liturgy and for both liturgies on Festival Sundays.
The Handbell Choir invites those with music reading ability to ring. The Bell Choir rehearses on scheduled Wednesday evenings and plays periodically in worship.
Youth – Children in church school receive instruction at scheduled times and play a role in worship liturgy several times per season. A yearly Advent pageant showcases their instrumental talents during the Prelude. They also sing gloriously during the week-long Vacation Bible School (VBS) in the summer.
Guest instrumentalists, often from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, enhance our worship life frequently throughout the year.
If you have musical gifts that you would share by participating in Mount Lebanon Lutheran’s music Ministry, kindly contact Dr. Christopher Keenan, Director of Music and Organist.
Fratelli Ruffatti, based in Padova, Italy, is internationally renowned for building custom-designed pipe organs that combine tonal versatility and expert craftsmanship. Founded in 1940, the firm has earned respect for high quality, artistic excellence, and a tradition of innovation and restoration across churches worldwide.
Mount Lebanon Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh proudly features a Fratelli Ruffatti pipe organ, exemplifying the company’s reputation for designing unique instruments tailored to both the congregation and the church’s acoustics, contributing to its vibrant music ministry. The Fratelli Ruffatti Pipe Organ was installed in 2002 after an extensive search by the organ selection committee. It has three manuals and pedal and consists of 36 pipe stops, 16 digital stops, 32 ranks and 1,816 pipes. The instrument is more than adequate for most organ literature, undergirding hymn singing, and providing colorful accompaniments for anthems and solos.
In 2009 a 4 stop Antiphonal Division was built and installed by J. Zamberlan and Company. Joseph Zamberlan continues the maintenance of the entire instrument to this day. The Antiphonal division boasts a beautiful Trompette enchamade
Mount Lebanon Lutheran Church is very proud of its version of the “king of instruments!”
Detailed specifications are available on the organ builder’s websites:
Fratelli Ruffatti Specifications: https://
J. Zamberlan and Company Specifications: https://www.
beginning on August 3, 2026
A native of Russell, Pennsylvania in Warren County, Hunter Peterson was raised in a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. After graduating from Warren Area High School, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance (Composition Concentration) from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. In May 2026, Russell graduated from the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music with a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance, training under Professor Todd Wilson.
Mr. Peterson is the recipient of many awards, including the Iva Jackson Scholarship for the pursuit of church related vocation; the William Berlin Scholarship for pursuit of religious vocation; the James Corry Religion Scholarship; the Jamison Scholarship for pursuit of career in ministry; and the Mary Elkins Wilgoki Music Scholarship for a degree in sacred music. He has previous service as a church organist, vocal director, handbell director, and will hold these duties with Mount Lebanon Lutheran Church while also serving in the music department of Westminster College.
Larry Allen was the Director of Music and Organist of Mount Lebanon Lutheran Church for 16 years and is now honored with the emeritus title. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his Masters in Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary in New York City where he was a student of Alec Wyton. He did further study in Paris with Marie-Claire Alain and received the Premier Prix in organ performance from the Conservatoire de Rueil-Malmasion.
Prior to his Pittsburgh move, Larry was for 30 years Director of Music and Organist at Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, CT. He was also head of the organ department at the Hartt School of Music from 1992-2004. His professional vocal ensemble, The Woodland Scholars, sang for several conventions of the ACDA.
In Pittsburgh, Larry has been Dean of the American Guild of Organists and was the Chairperson of the 2015 Regional Convention which brought over 200 organists and church musician together for a week of concerts and courses for self-improvement. He is the organist for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with whom he has performed the Saint-Saens “Organ Symphony” and has recorded the Strauss “Alpine Symphony.”