Michael Asmus Presents Organ & Conducting Evening in Christ Chapel

(Story by Megan Maricle-Roberts ’14)

Senior music major from Gaylor, Minnesota, Michael Asmus, presented his senior organ and conducting recital in Christ Chapel on the Gustavus Adolphus College campus on Sunday, April 21. The program of organ, chorus and chamber orchestra included the assistance of Michael’s instructor, organist Chad Winterfeldt, and nearly 60 of Michael’s fellow students in Le Grande Bande & Chorus. The recital began at 7:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel.

Michael is a senior music major from Gaylord, Minnesota. He is a 2009 Sibley East High School graduate and is the son of Brian and Diana Asmus of Gaylord. He is a member of the Gustavus Choir, under the direction of Gregory Aune, and has earned the Gustavus Music Scholarship. After graduation, Michael plans to continue working with organ performance and go to graduate school for orchestral conducting.

Michael’s recital was presented into two sections. The recital began with Michael playing the organ for Charles Standfords’ Organ Sonata No. 2, Op. 151 and Dan Locklair’s work Rubrics. The following work, Standford’s Ye Choris of New Jerusalem, Op. 123, featured Michael conducting a choral ensemble of his own creation, including 33 of his fellow students accompanied by Chad Winterfeldt on the organ. The final work in the first section was a solo organ selectipn with Michael playing the organ for O Mensch, bewein’ dein Sünde groβ, BWW 622 by Johann Sebastian Bach.

After an intermission, the recital continued with the addition a chamber orchestra 19 orchestral members, and opened with the Organ Concerto Op. 4, No. 4 by George F. Handel with Michael conducting and playing organ. He then moved to harpsichord and directed Johann C. F. Bach’s Sinfonia in d minor. The chorus then joined the chamber orchestra for the final selection of the recital, Handel’s The King Shall Rejoice, with Michael conducting his Le Grand Bande & Chorus.

Sunday’s recital was followed by a reception for the musicians and the audience in the main entrance to Gustavus’ Christ Chapel. The audience of more than 100 included Michael’s band, piano, organ, choral and conducting mentors from the Gaylord, Arlington, St. Peter and Gustavus communities.