Biography
David Fienen is Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN for the next two years. A past Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College (2000-2001), Dr. Fienen also served as Associate Dean of the College from 1993 to 1996 and Director of General Education from 2002 to 2007. He has served the College as Chair of the Faculty Senate as well as chair or member of several standing committees of the faculty.
Throughout his 36-year career at Gustavus, Dr. Fienen has been Organist/Cantor at Christ Chapel and Professor of Music. He has been chair of the Music Department since 2005, and holds the Edgar F. and Ethel Johnson Professorship of Fine Arts. He received degrees from Indiana University, Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and the University of Minnesota. He has appeared widely in the United States and Europe. In addition to a solo recital tour through North Germany and Berlin, he has toured Eastern Europe with both the Gustavus Brass Ensembles and the Gustavus Wind Orchestra. In June, 1990, he was an artist/fellow with the Bach Aria Festival and Institute at Stony Brook, N.Y. Since 1988 he has been the keyboardist and occasional soloist with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra. He was assistant conductor of the Mankato-based choral group Musicorum during fall 1999 and for several years has been the performance accompanist for both Musicorum and the St. Peter Choral Society. In July 2004, he played an Orgelvesper at St. Jacobi in Lübeck, Germany, and an organ recital at the Schlosskirche in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany.
He was secretary/treasurer of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians from 2001 to 2005, having previously served as founding president of Region III from 1986 to 1988 and as treasurer for their 1993 and 1995 biennial conferences. From 1983 to 1986 he was on the executive board of the Twin Cities chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and from 1995 to 1997 he was on the board of directors and chair of the finance committee of The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning.
Dr. Fienen has recorded Hymns and Fanfares (with Gustavus Brass Ensembles) and Let Us Adore Him; Favorite Swedish Hymns; and Favorite Norwegian Hymns (with the Gustavus Choir), which are available from the Book Mark at Gustavus Adolphus College. He also appears as organ or harpsichord soloist and accompanist on three CDs produced by Musicorum. His current research is focused on the life and works of Jan Bender. During his leave of absence in the fall of 2003, he edited five volumes of organ works by Bender for Concordia Publishing House, published as a Commemorative Edition in 2005.
Recent publications:
"Jan Bender; Church Musician of the 20th Century", published in Perspectives on Organ Playing and Musical Interpretation; A Festschrift for Heinrich Fleischer at 90 (available from the Organ Historical Society).
The Master Organ Works of Jan Bender; A Commemorative Edition, 5 volumes, edited by David Fienen. St. Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 2005.
Future performances:
- May 17, 2009 - 4 PM - organ dedication recital - Bethel Lutheran Church - Rochester, MN
- May 30, 2009 - 9 AM - Carillon recital - Christ Chapel - Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN
- June 16, 2009 - noon - Organ Recital - STAGO - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Mankato, MN
- September 27, 2009 - 4 PM - organist - Festival Concert of Music by Jan Bender - St. Paul's Lutheran Church - Des Peres, MO
- October 18-20, 2009 - lectures/performances on Jan Bender - Lectures in Church Music - Concordia University, Chicago (River Forest), IL
- March, 2010 - organist - St. Peter Choral Society: Mendelssohn Elijah - First Lutheran Church, St. Peter, MN
- May 16, 2010 - 7:30 PM - harpsichord soloist - Mankato Symphony Orchestra (Bach Brandenburg Concerto V) - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN
Recent performances:
- April 24, 2009 - 7:30 PM - organist - Choir of Christ Chapel Home Concert - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN
- April 16-19, 2009 - organist - Choir of Christ Chapel tour - Rochester, MN, Luther College, Cedar Rapids, IA, Eau Claire, WI
- January 24-February 8, 2009 - pianist/organist - Gustavus Wind Orchestra tour
- Jan. 24 - 7 PM - St. Mark's Lutheran Church - North St. Paul, MN
- Jan. 31 - 7 PM - Bethany Lutheran Church - Cherry Hills Village, CO
- Feb. 1 - 8 AM and 10:45 AM - Munt Olive Lutheran Church - Aurora, CO
- Feb. 2 - 10 AM - Denver Lutheran High School - Denver, CO
- Feb. 2 - 7 PM - Abiding Hope Lutheran Church - Littleton, CO
- Feb. 3 - 7:30 PM - First United Methodist Church - Colorado Springs, CO
- Feb. 5 - 7 PM - Our Savior's Lutheran Church - Fort Collins, CO
- Feb. 6 - 7 PM - Calvary Lutheran Church - Rapid City, SD
- Feb. 7 - 3:30 PM - St. Mark's Lutheran Church - Sioux Falls, SD
- Feb. 8 - 2 PM - Home Concert - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN
- December 15, 2008 - 10:00 AM - organist - Advent Hymn Sing and Centennial Celebration of Hugo Distler - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN
- December 13, 2008 - 7:30 PM - harpsichordist - Messiah - Mankato Symphony Orchestra - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN
- July 28-31, 2008 - organ masterclass and presentation: "Jan Bender:Lutheran Church Musician in a Century of Tumult" - WELS National Conference on Worship, Music and Arts - Gustavus Adolphus College - St.Peter, MN
- June 29, 2008 - organist - 150th Anniversary Service - East Union Lutheran Church - Carver County, MN
- May 3, 2008 - 7:30 PM - organist - Gustavus Choir Home Concert - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN
- April 23-27, 2008 - organist - Gustavus Choir tour to Chicago
- April 17-20, 2008 - organist - Choir of Christ Chapel tour to Texas
- March 16, 2008 - 2:00 PM - continuo harpsichordist -
- Bach St. Matthew Passion - St. Peter Choral Society - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN
- Vivaldi Four Seasons - Gustavus Philharmonic Orchestra - Bjorling Recital Hall, Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, M
- February 23, 2008 - 4:30 PM - piano - all-Bach Recital (with Yumiko Oshima-Ryan and Esther Wang) - Bjorling Recital Hall, Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN
- October 25, 2006 - Lecture - "Jan Bender: Lutheran Church Musician in a Century of Tumult" - Bethany Lutheran College REFORMATION FESTIVAL - Mankato, MN
- September 16, 2006 - 7:30 PM - faculty organ recital - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN
- January 14-30, 2006 - Tour with Gustavus Wind Orchestra -
- St. Gumbertus Church - Ansbach, Germany (Jan. 16)
- St. Simon and Juda Church - Prague (Jan. 18)
- Catholic Church - Kety, Poland (Jan. 20)
- Ev. Luth. Church - Bielsko Biala, Poland (Jan. 21)
- Szczyrk Catholic Church (morning worship) - Szczyrk, Poland (Jan. 22)
- Ev. Luth. Church - Stara Tura, Slovakia (Jan. 23)
- Ev. Luth. Church - Bratislava, Slovakia (Jan. 25)
- Bundesgymnasium Hallein - Salzburg (Jan. 27)
- Ev. Providenz-Kirche - Heidelberg, Germany (Jan. 29)
- Christ Chapel (home concert) - St. Peter, MN, USA (Feb. 11)
- November 5, 2005 - 7:30 pm - faculty organ recital - Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN
- October 23, 2005 - 3 pm - organ recital - First Presbyterian Church, Freeport, IL
- July 18-21, 2005, - organ master class - for WELS Conference on Worship, Music, and the Arts - Gustavus Adolphus College.
- July 27, 2005 - noon organ recital - Peace Lutheran Church - Hutchinson, MN
- August 2, 2005 - noon organ recital - Christ United Methodist Church - Rochester, MN