Peter Lutkin

March 27, 1858 (age 72)

Thompsonville, Wisconsin, United States

At the age of fourteen Lutkin became organist at the Cathedral, though as yet technically untrained, holding this position till 1881. From 1879 to 1881 he was instructor of piano at Northwestern University in Evanston. Returning to Chicago, he became organist and choirmaster at St. Clement's (1884 - 1891) and at St. James's (1891 - 1896). From 1888 to 1895 he was director of the theory department of the American Conservatory of Music. Meanwhile, in 1891, when the department of music of Northwestern University was organized, he was appointed professor of music and in 1897 became dean of the School of Music upon its organization. He became dean emeritus in 1928 but continued active as a teacher until a few weeks before his death. He was conductor of the Evanston Musical Club (1894 - 1919) and the Ravenswood Musical Club (1896 - 1904). In 1906 he founded the noted a cappella choir of the University, an organization which, of all his major activities, probably lay closest to his heart and for which he wrote most of his compositions for unaccompanied voices. These choral units made it possible for him to establish, with the financial aid of influential citizens, the Chicago North Shore Festival Association in 1908, of which he was the choral conductor until 1930. The first festival took place in May 1909. These annual festivals, among the best of their kind, exerted a large influence in developing the musical interests of Chicago. Lutkin was one of the founders of the American Guild of Organists (1896). His special interest from early manhood was in church music and until his death he kept the headship of the department of church and choral music of the School of Music, writing and editing many pamphlets on various phases of church music. He was also special lecturer on church music in the Western Theological Seminary (Chicago) and the Garrett Biblical Institute (Evanston), one of his lecture courses in the former being published as Music in the Church (1910). As a composer he wrote little outside the field of church music and part-songs. His best work displays a good understanding of contrapuntal writing and characteristic choral effects, particularly with unaccompanied voices.

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Works

book

Selected Hymns and Carols

The Lord Bless You and Keep You: Score & Parts (Eighth Note Publications)

(Sooner or later every church choir ends up singing this p...)

Music in the Church (Classic Reprint)

(Excerpt from Music in the Church Bishop anderson, when h...)

The Methodist Sunday School Hymnal

(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)

Postlude - Score

(Printed sheet music to the work Postlude by Peter Christi...)

Aeolian Collection of Anthems for Three-Part Chorus - Book 2

("The object of this Collection is to provide the best of ...)

Hymn Tune Transcriptions for Organ

(transcriptions for: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Ea...)

Peter Christian Lutkin Edit Profile

composer conductor educator

Background

Peter Christian Lutkin was born on March 27, 1858 in Thompsonville, Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, the youngest of six children of Peter Christian and Hannah Susanna Define (Olivarius) Lutkin. Both parents were born in Denmark. The father was interested in the violin as an amateur, but Peter was the only one of his children to display musical ability. Before the family moved to Chicago in 1869, the father was engaged in the wholesale grocery business in Racine, from which district he was elected to the Wisconsin legislature. The sudden death of both parents in 1871 threw the boy on his own resources.

Education

Lutkin obtained his education in the public schools of Chicago and in the choir school of the Episcopal Cathedral, where in 1869 he became alto soloist of the pioneer boy choir of the midwest. Thereafter he began the study of piano with Mrs. Regina Watson, organ with Clarence Eddy, and theory with Frederick Grant Gleason. In 1882 he was in Berlin studying organ with Haupt, piano with Raif, and theory with Bargiel (mostly at the Hochschule für Musik), winning a scholarship in the Konigliche Meisterschule für Composition in October 1882. He also studied piano in the Leschetizky Piano School in Vienna (1883) and with Moszkowski in Paris (1884).

Career

At the age of fourteen Lutkin became organist at the Cathedral, though as yet technically untrained, holding this position till 1881. From 1879 to 1881 he was instructor of piano at Northwestern University in Evanston. Returning to Chicago, he became organist and choirmaster at St. Clement's (1884 - 1891) and at St. James's (1891 - 1896). From 1888 to 1895 he was director of the theory department of the American Conservatory of Music. Meanwhile, in 1891, when the department of music of Northwestern University was organized, he was appointed professor of music and in 1897 became dean of the School of Music upon its organization. He became dean emeritus in 1928 but continued active as a teacher until a few weeks before his death.

He was conductor of the Evanston Musical Club (1894 - 1919) and the Ravenswood Musical Club (1896 - 1904). In 1906 he founded the noted a cappella choir of the University, an organization which, of all his major activities, probably lay closest to his heart and for which he wrote most of his compositions for unaccompanied voices. These choral units made it possible for him to establish, with the financial aid of influential citizens, the Chicago North Shore Festival Association in 1908, of which he was the choral conductor until 1930. The first festival took place in May 1909. These annual festivals, among the best of their kind, exerted a large influence in developing the musical interests of Chicago. Lutkin was one of the founders of the American Guild of Organists (1896).

His special interest from early manhood was in church music and until his death he kept the headship of the department of church and choral music of the School of Music, writing and editing many pamphlets on various phases of church music. He was also special lecturer on church music in the Western Theological Seminary (Chicago) and the Garrett Biblical Institute (Evanston), one of his lecture courses in the former being published as Music in the Church (1910). As a composer he wrote little outside the field of church music and part-songs. His best work displays a good understanding of contrapuntal writing and characteristic choral effects, particularly with unaccompanied voices.

Achievements

The main Lutkin's achievements were the development of the School of Music at the Northwestern University into one of the important musical institutions of the country and foundation of the cappella choir. Among his best compositions may be listed the following: Te Deum, "Peace" (first given at the North Shore Festival, 1919), Communion Service in C, Te Deum No. 2 in B-flat, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in B-flat, and several anthems--"Christians, Awake, " "Fairest Lord Jesus, " and "What Christ Said. "