Wilhelm Middelschulte (April 3, 1863, Werve, Kreis Hamm, now part of Kamen – May 4, 1943, Dortmund) was a German organist and composer who resided in America for most of his career.
Middelschulte initially studied organ with August Knabe. He later attended the Royal Academic Institute for Church Music, where he studied organ and theory with August Haupt. After briefly holding a position at the Royal Institute and acquiring a post at the Lukaskirche in Berlin, he moved to Chicago in 1891. In 1893, he gave three performances entirely from memory at the Columbian Exposition. From 1896 - 1918 he was organist for what would later become the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. During the 1920s, he regularly returned to his native Germany to give performances. He is regarded as one of the most significant organists of his time, and was critically acclaimed for his performances of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1939, after nearly fifty years in America, Middelschulte returned to Germany, where he died only four years later.
His students included Virgil Fox and Cecilia Clare Bocard. Fox frequently used as an encore to his performances Middelschulte's 'Perpetuum Mobile', an elaborate piece played completely on the pedals.
Ferruccio Busoni's Fantasia contrappuntistica was dedicated to 'Wilhelm Middelschulte, Meister der Kontrapunkte'. Source de l'extrait biographique : Wikipedia (Retracter)...(lire la suite)
