by Daniel Hathaway
In addition to the funeral service held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights marking the passing of Karen McFarlane Holtkamp early in June at the age of 83, a memorial service has been scheduled for Friday, September 19 at 2 pm at Trinity Cathedral.
In a special invitation, John McElliott, president of Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc. writes, “It will be quite a musical event. The music will include the Duruflé Requiem — mostly complete — with James O’Donnell, formerly of Westminster Abbey and now at Yale University, conducting, and Todd Wilson accompanying.The choir will be a hand-picked group of local singers from various churches and ensembles plus a couple of our artists.
“Todd will play the hymns and service music. The Cathedral’s Dean, BJ Owens, will officiate. Eulogies will be offered by Karen’s daughter, Sarah Polly, and David Higgs. Voluntaries will be played by George Baker, Ken Cowan, David Higgs, Alan Morrison, Nathan Laube, and Todd Wilson.
“And music in the service will include works by J.S. Bach, George Baker, Johannes Brahms, David Conte, Edward Elgar, Craig Phillips, and William Grant Still, including several works written for Karen — a brand new piece by David Conte commissioned by F. Christian Holtkamp, and a work by Craig Phillips which had been written for Karen many years ago in celebration of her 50th birthday.”
“We would love for as many people as possible to attend who would like to pay respects to Karen, as well as those who would simply appreciate the music,” McElliott said.
In 1976, Karen McFarlane took over the artist management company established by Bernard R. LaBerge in 1921 and later continued by Lilian Murtagh. During Karen’s presidency from 1976-2000, she expanded the roster of famous organists by adding competition winners and choirs.
In 1982, in cooperation with the American Guild of Organists, she began a career development program for the first-prize winners of the National Young Artists Competition in Organ Playing. In 1985, she began touring the great British choirs of King’s College and Saint John’s College, Cambridge, The Cambridge Singers, Westminster Abbey, Winchester, Salisbury, Canterbury and Westminster Cathedrals, and the Saint Thomas Choir of New York City before retiring in 2000.
Herself an organist and choir director, the St. Louis native served posts in New York and Texas. She moved from New York to Cleveland in the early 1980s, married organbuilder Walter “Chick” Holtkamp, Jr., and continued running her artist management while serving as assistant choirmaster to Todd Wilson at the Church of the Covenant from 1987 to 2008.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com August 28, 2025.
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