The Church of the Gesu has been the site of many wonderful concerts, from monthly Organ Concerts, to Children’s Choirs from Poland, Chattanooga and Appleton, to the
Marquette University Chorus and
Liturgical Choir, and the
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Upcoming Music Ministry Concerts
Gesu Parish is pleased to celebrate the dedication of its Schantz pipe organ. This new organ, the culmination of a 116-year journey of music in our sacred space preserves the heritage of its predecessors. Ten different pipemakers are represented in the ensemble, including Kimball, Kilgen, Wangerin, Johnson and Schantz.
February Organ Concert
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Michael Stefanek, guest artist
Dr. Michael Stefanek is Principal Organist at St. Norbert Abbey, DePere, Wisconsin. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master's degrees in organ performance at the University of Michigan, where he studied with James Kibbie.
Michael is known for providing exciting concert programs that feature a diverse selection of organ repertoire. As a soloist he has performed throughout the United States. In the Midwest, these venues include the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, Green Bay, WI; Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit, MI; Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, OH; Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Davenport, IA; Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI; Park Church Congregational, U.C.C., Grand Rapids, MI; and Presbyterian Homes; Elliot Chapel, Evanston, IL. He is also in frequent demand for collaborative performances.
The program will include selections from works by J.S. Bach, Alfred Hollins, Dom Paul Benoit, John Weaver, Barbara Dennerlein, Irving Berlin (trans. Michael Stefanek), Louis Vierne, John Martinson, and Maurice Durufle.
All are welcome. There is no admission charge, but free will offerings are accepted at the door and are appreciated. For parking information,
Click here for parking information.
March Organ Concert: Remembering the RMS Titanic
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Guest Artist:
John W. W. Sherer, Director of Music and Organist
Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago
An event of catastrophic proportions in the history of the United States, the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic, will be commemorated during its one-hundredth anniversary year by guest artist, Dr. John Sherer, in this concert on Gesu Church's Schantz pipe organ. This engaging program will feature music of 1912, music heard on board the ship, and music written to honor the victims of the disaster.
Since 1996, Dr. Sherer has been the Organist and Director of Music for the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, where 2,000 people worship each Sunday. This dynamic church has a 126-rank Aeolian-Skinner organ; nine choirs and instrumental groups, including The Morning Choir; a twenty-six voice professional ensemble; and Tower Brass, a professional octet. Dr. Sherer manages an active concert series at the church with over eighty events each year. In addition to his work at Fourth Presbyterian Church, he is a frequent guest conductor with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, has done numerous lectures and clinics on church music, and is a published author and composer. He is also active in professional organizations including the Chicago Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, where he serves on the board of directors, and the American Choral Directors Association Central Division, where he is chair of Repertoire and Standards for Music in Worship.
Dr. Sherer has performed numerous recitals throughout the United States and England, including several for regional and national organist conventions. Among the many plaudits he has received are those from critics who have acclaimed his "virtuoso technique and his sensitive musical sense to serve the requirements of the music," his "stimulating and captivating" programming, and his personal qualities of being "an excellent communicator and a charming person." Dr. Sherer received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School in New York City. He earned two master's degrees at Yale University, with majors in organ performance, and art in religion. He also earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, in organ performance, and in choral music education. A native of Xenia, Ohio, Dr. Sherer is married to the Reverend Kara Wagner, an Episcopal priest; they have two daughters, Madeleine and Carlisle. Among his avocational interests is anything related to the R.M.S. Titanic.
