Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Birth

:

1957

Genre

:

Choral

 

David Cherwien is a renowned classical music artist who has made significant contributions to the world of music as a composer, conductor, and organist. He was born in 1957 in Fargo, North Dakota, and grew up in a musical family. His father was a church musician, and his mother was a piano teacher. Cherwien started playing the piano at the age of five and began studying the organ at the age of 12. Cherwien attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance. He then went on to earn a Master of Music degree in organ performance from the University of Minnesota. During his time at the University of Minnesota, Cherwien studied with renowned organist Heinrich Fleischer. After completing his studies, Cherwien began his career as a church musician. He served as the organist and choir director at several churches in Minnesota, including St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi and Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. He also served as the director of music at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Minneapolis. In addition to his work as a church musician, Cherwien has also made significant contributions to the world of classical music as a composer and conductor. He has composed numerous works for choir, organ, and other instruments, many of which have been performed by choirs and orchestras around the world. Some of his most notable compositions include "O Day Full of Grace," "The King of Love My Shepherd Is," and "A New Song." Cherwien has also conducted numerous choirs and orchestras throughout his career. He has served as the conductor of the National Lutheran Choir, the Minneapolis-based choir that performs sacred music from a variety of traditions. He has also conducted the Concordia Choir, the choir of his alma mater, Concordia College. Throughout his career, Cherwien has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the world of classical music. In 1991, he was awarded the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Composers, which recognizes outstanding composers in the state of Minnesota. He has also received the Award of Excellence from the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Concordia College. One of the highlights of Cherwien's career was his performance at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. in 2002. He was invited to perform as part of the cathedral's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer and organist Paul Hindemith. Cherwien performed Hindemith's "Organ Sonata No. 2" on the cathedral's massive pipe organ, which has over 10,000 pipes. Cherwien continues to be an active musician and composer today. He currently serves as the director of music at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and as the artistic director of the National Lutheran Choir. He also continues to compose new works and conduct choirs and orchestras around the world.

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