Peter Bates joined the staff of Covenant Presbyterian Church in June 1997, and has served as minister of music and resident organist for that organization for over 26 years. He earned his Master’s degree in organ performance from Sacramento State University. 

Between 1984 and 1999 he played over 100 Noonday Organ Recitals, over 500 weddings and was involved in various recording projects at First Congregational Church Los Angeles.  This included recording Bach for a Porsche television commercial, first aired during the 1987 Super Bowl. He was also the organist for the 1979 season of the LA Aztecs Soccer Team for games held at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

Mr. Bates has performed as organ accompanist for various choral organizations, including over a dozen performances with the critically acclaimed Long Beach Camerata Singers, and has been a featured soloist during both the Long Beach Mozart and Long Beach Bach Festivals. During the COVID “lockdown” in addition to Covenant’s weekly on-line services recorded with the Covenant Quartet, he performed 65 weekly half-hour “Mid-Week Organ Meditations” that were broadcast on the church’s YouTube channel.

He is a member of the Los Angeles and Orange County chapters of the American Guild of Organists and a Past Dean of the Long Beach chapter. He served three-terms as the Southern California District Convener and two terms as Director of the Committee on Sharing Skills and Resources for the National AGO organization.

Mr. Bates has been honored by the Long Beach Alumnae of Sigma Alpha Iota musical fraternity for women as a Friend of the Arts for his contributions to the musical life of Long Beach.