Samuel Kummer

Samuel Kummer was born in Stuttgart in 1968. After receiving his diploma from the lycée he studied church music at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart. In the organ classes of Christoph Bossert, Werner Jacob and Ludger Lohmann he acquired a broad repertoire of music in many styles, which is complemented by his ability in the field of organ improvisation (he studied improvisation with Willibald Bezler, Wolfgang Seifen and Hans Martin Corrinth). During his studies he took part in many master classes. Upon his graduation in 1997 he received an award for organ improvisation.

Since 1988 Samuel Kummer has given organ recitals in Germany and elsewhere, appearing in such countries as the Netherlands, the Baltic states, Poland, Hungary, the USA and Central America. He has played in important concert series such as the European Organ Festival at Maastricht, the International Bach Festival at Warsaw, and in Riga Cathedral. During the summer of 2003 he accepted an invitation to Utah State University; in Salt Lake City he gave organ recitals in the Mormon Tabernacle and an improvisation seminar for organists and pianists. In 2005 he appeared again at the Cathedral in Guatemala City, where he had played in 1999 in aid of the restoration and upkeep of the historic Walcker organ of 1937.

Samuel Kummer is a prizewinner at international organ competitions. In 1996 he won the 1st prize at the "Concours L'Europe et L'Orgue" at Maastricht. From 1998 until June 2005 he was the district choirmaster at the Martinskirche, Kirchheim/Teck. As well as directing numerous oratorio performances there (concluding with Frank Martin's In terra pax), in 2000 he gave a complete performance of the organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach. In December 2004 Samuel Kummer was appointed organist of the Frauenkirche, Dresden, where he assumed his new position in July 2005.