Organist visits USU
Samuel Kummer, a world known organist, teacher and music director, traveled from Germany and performed in the Kent Concert Hall at Utah State University on Tuesday.
James Drake, the head of Utah State University’s organ program, arranged for Kummer to perform.
“I met him in Germany last July,” Drake said.
Drake said he and his organ students were on a trip in Europe and decided to go look at the churches. While at one of the churches, they met Kummer.
“Then we wanted him to come over, so he came over,” Drake said.
Before coming to USU, Drake said Kummer performed at Temple Square, in Salt Lake City. Drake said the Eccles Caine Foundations sponsored Kummer’s visit here.
While here, he also taught two improvisation master classes for organ and piano students. Kummer showed and shared his skills with students at two different workshops.
Kummer was born in Stuttgart, Germany. He has been playing the organ for 23 years.
Kummer continually studied general music and became well-versed in it. At the State Music Conservatory in Stuttgart, Kummer studied church music, organ improvisation, choir, and orchestra conducting.
Some of his teachers included Willibald Bezler, Cristoph Bossert, Ludger Lohmann and Wolfgang Seifen.
Kummer has won various awards in international competitions, and has been asked to perform various improvisational concerts worldwide. Some of his awards include being a finalist at the International Competition in Organ Improvisation, and fourth prize at the International Organ Competition.
As well as performing at the Bach Organ Festival in Warsaw, Poland, he has played improvisational concerts also at the Church of Thanksgiving in Frankfurt, and the Church of St. Anthony in Cologne.
Kummer is the director of church music at St. Martins Protestant Church, and has been for five years. He directs a choir and teaches an organ class at the church.
At Kummer’s performance, he played three pieces, one being a Fantasie and Fugue on the Chorale, “Ad nos, ad Salutaremundam” by Franz Liszt. He also spent time improvising some well-known songs, and some other famous organ pieces.
Trent Wood, a junior studying liberal arts and science said he thought Kummer’s USU performance was good.
“He can really work the organ there. It’s just amazing how much he has to do up there,” Wood said.
Alison Houston, a senior studying journalism, also like Kummer’s performance.
“I thought it was very good,” he said. “I thought that the improvisations were really good. And it takes a lot of talent to play with your hands and your feet at the same time.”
-amysueh@cc.usu.edu