Irene Bennett is a missionary, traveler, teacher, pianist, organist, speaker, and writer of a blog at Hymns for Worship. She teaches students of all ages at her independent ‘mobile’ piano studio that caters to students in different parts of the world. A devoted teacher and lifelong learner, Irene is currently undergoing Suzuki Piano and Musikgarten training to refine her craft in early childhood education.
Irene’s love for hymns has led her to publish “Line Upon Line” in 2016, a unique hymnal compilation that reflects the prophetic messages of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She is currently working on recording piano arrangements of Second Advent hymns, a special project commissioned for her by Filipino composer and organist, Alejandro Consolacion II.
Although a native of the Philippines, Irene completed graduate studies at Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Michigan) where she received a Master of Music degree in Music Education, with a specialization in Organ, studying under Kenneth Logan. She received work scholarship from Andrews and served as a music history graduate assistant under Lilianne Doukhan. At the culmination of her graduate studies, she performed an organ recital at Pioneer Memorial Church and wrote an 80-page paper titled “Seventh-day Adventist Doctrines in Seventh-day Adventist Hymnody, from its Beginnings to Today.” She graduated with honors from Andrews, and was granted a Phi Kappa Phi medal for a consistent and excellent academic performance.
Her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance is from Adventist University of the Philippines (Cavite, Philippines), where she studied piano with Jonathan Coo. She was also accompanist and alto for the AUP Ambassadors Choral Arts Society (now “The Philippine Meistersingers”), directed by Ramon “Bojo” Lijauco. During her stint with the choir, they won first place in the Gospel-Spiritual category of the World Choir Games competition held in Xiamen, China, the best any choir from the Philippines had ever done in that event, which in that year featured over 400 choirs from 47 countries. They also won medals in Musica Sacra and mixed chamber categories.
Outside of her musical sphere, Irene is also active and passionate about her cooking school ministry. In 2017, she self-published a book titled “The Missionary’s Kitchen: 125 Easy and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes That Will Win Appetites for Christ,” which was a result of the numerous cooking schools she and her husband gave at several churches and events in Southern California. You may learn more about her ministry at By His Stripes Ministries.
Currently, she resides in the Philippines where her husband is actively involved in mission aviation. Inspite of her busy travelling schedule, she maintains her professional piano studio and keeps in contact with her students on a weekly basis.
For more about Irene’s Piano Studio, feel free to explore my site or visit the studio’s official Facebook Page.