Rodney Hansen began his career as a church organist at age 10 in the Eureka First Presbyterian Church. He studied at San Jose State College, San Francisco State, and the Peabody Conservatory of Music. At Peabody, he studied with Paul Callaway and earned a bachelor's degree in music in 1957. In 1954, he was appointed organist-choirmaster at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Incarnation and organist-director of the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. From 1962 to 1964, Hansen was a harpsichordist-organist with the New York Festival Orchestra at Philharmonic Hall in New York. Also in New York, he was associate conductor of the Cantata Singers and recorded with the Robert Shaw Chorale on the RCA Victor label. After serving as organist and choirmaster at churches in Connecticut and New York, Hansen returned to Baltimore in 1972 when he was named organist and choir director at Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He served for a time as chorusmaster of the Baltimore Opera Company. As choirmaster of Old St. Paul's, he was also responsible for music instruction at St. Paul's School and St. Paul's School for girls. In the summer of 1995 he took the St. Paul's Choir of Men and Boys to the White House to perform for President and Mrs. Reagan. During Hansen's tenure as director, the choir toured England and France. Rodney Hansen died on January 20, 1998.