Thursday 10 July 2008, at 8.00 pm

Marcus Strümpe

Marcus Strümpe was born in 1967. He studied organ with Prof. Gerd Zacher and choral direction with Prof. Ralf Otto at the Folkwang-Hochschule in Essen. From 1990 to 1993 he was Prof. Otto's assistant and so responsible for coaching, rehearsing and organization. Courses with the conductors Sergiu Celibidache and Frieder Bernius followed. In addition to his basic studies he graduated from another course of study in organ music with Prof. Christoph Bossert at the Musikhochschule in Trossingen. Between 1994 and 2007 Marcus Strümpe was the director of music at the Church of St Paul; and since 2007 he has been director of music at Duisburg's gothic Salvator Church with its new Kuhn organ. He attracted supra-regional interest with performances of Carmina Burana at the old steel factory in the Duisburg-Nord Country Park and Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes at the departure terminal at Düsseldorf Airport. As director of the Duisburg Philharmonic Choir he has mainly worked together with the General Musical Director of Duisburg, Jonathan Darlington. As an organist, Strümpe has been invited to festivals in Germany, France, Spain and Russia. He increasingly performs organ music linked with other arts or sciences (dance, astronomy, etc.). He is also a member of the commission responsible for the new organ of Duisburg's concert hall.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883), arranged by Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Festival music from Die Meistersingern von Nurenberg
From the Wesendonk Liedern:
- Schmerzen
- Träume

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Peer Gynt suite I
- Morning (Allegretto pastorale)
- Aase's death (Andante doloroso)
- Anitra's dance (Tempo di Mazurka)
- In the hall of the mountain king (Alla marcia e molto marcato)

William Albright (1934-1998)
Sweet sixteenths (concert rag)

Pierre Cochereau (1924-1984)
Variations on Frère Jacques
- Introduction/Thème
- Agitato
- Marche lente
- Scherzo
- Trio
- Adagio
- Dialogue
- Flutes
- Final