My guest today is the internationally acclaimed pianist, organist, harpsichordist, composer, conductor and improviser, Dr. Rudolf Lutz!

Lutz was organist of the church Sankt Laurenzen in St Gallen from 1973–2013, and conductor of the Bach-Chor St. Gallen from 1986–2008. Rudolf Lutz is a former lecturer for improvisation at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, and has taught thorough-bass at the School of Music in Basel and oratorio studies at the Zurich University of the Arts.

A respected composer; Lutz’s sinfonia for cantata BWV 158 by Bach and his Christmas oratory “An English Christmas” are critically acclaimed. In 2017, his cantata in homage to Luther – a work commissioned by “Deutschlandfunk Kultur” – received its world premiere at Wartburg castle. In 2018, his second cantata based on a traditional Swiss hymn, also received its premiere.

Lutz is the artistic director and conductor of the J.S. Bach Foundation. Their Choir, Orchestra and Vocal soloists are in the process of performing the complete vocal catalogue of Johann Sebastian Bach, performing 12 cantata concerts a year and this massive undertaking is estimated to conclude in 2027.