Wolfgang Rubsam

After his musical training with Erich Ackermann in Fulda, Germany, Rübsam studied at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt am Main with Helmut Walcha. Additional studies in organ followed with Marie-Claire Alain in France and with Robert T. Anderson at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He won the first prize at the International Organ Competition in Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Grand Prix de Chartres for interpretation in 1973.

In 1974, he was appointed as professor of sacred music and organ at Northwestern University. In addition, he also served as University Organist at Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago from 1981 until 1997. Since 1997, he has been professor of organ at the Hochschule für Musik Saar in Saarbrücken, Germany. From 1998 until 2003, he was also artist in residence and university organist at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Wolfgang Rübsam has published more than 130 recordings, including two recordings of the complete organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach, the complete organ works of Dietrich Buxtehude, Felix Mendelssohn, César Franck, Louis Vierne, and Jehan Alain, as well as recordings of Franz Liszt, Johann Pachelbel, Max Reger, and Joseph Rheinberger. In addition, he has recorded a major part of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach on modern Bösendorfer pianos. He is also sound engineer and producer for the Naxos Organ Encyclopedia Series. Wolfgang Rübsam is in great demand as concert organist and jury member for international competitions.

Wolfgang Rübsam is also working as a licensed barber at his own barber shop in Valparaiso, Indiana, and as composer for the publishing houses Augsburg Fortress in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Schott Music in Mainz, Germany.