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Johannes Unger
Concert Organist
Assistant Organist, St. Thomas Church, Leipzig
First Place St. Albans International Organ Competition, UK, 2001
First Prize International J.S. Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany, 2000
First Prize at the Organ Competition in Odense, Denmark, 1998
08/09 Season Tour Periods:
2008: September 20 through October 5
2009: March 14 through 29
"Immaculate and virtuoso playing...benchmark interpretations."
(Gramophone, London)
"What a fabulous recital...I simply cannot come up with enough superlatives. The head of our music department described the recital as 'THE musical event of the year in Mankato.' I can't remember a standing ovation at intermission before, but it happened last night."
(Lois Jaeger, Bethany College, Mankato MN, presenter)
Johannes Unger, born in Schlema (Erzgebirge, East Germany) in 1976, was influenced in his early life by his musical parents. He received a complete musical training in the Spezialschule fur Musik in Halle, going on to study further at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Academy for Music and Theatre in Leipzig. He studied organ with Ullrich Bohme, organist of the famous St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, and piano with Markus Tomas. Since 1999 he has been studying in the solo class of Hans Fagius in Copenhagen.
He has performed in Germany, France, Denmark, Australia and the United States. His first solo CD, released in 2000, was recorded on the Silbermann organ in Rotha, near Leipzig. Mr. Unger is Assistant Organist at the famed St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.
In 2001 he took top honors at the 21st biennial St. Albans International Organ Competition. The previous year he won the 12th International J.S. Bach Competition in Leipzig, and in 1998 he won the first prize at the Organ Competition in Odense, Denmark, where he was the youngest participant.
"His concert was truly phenomenal. He is one of the best and most expressive organists I have ever heard." (Martin Dicke, presenter, Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria IL)
"An extraordinary organist. We have had nothing but the best in our recital series over the past six years, and we think Johannes Unger is as good as anyone we have heard here. In addition to playing beautifully, the intellectual conception of his program was a well thought out as any concert program I can remember."
(Timothy Fuller, Dean, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, presenter)
"Mr. Unger gave us a lovely concert which was greatly enjoyed by the audience...All of us who met him were impressed with his youth, charm, and talent."
(Jo Lyday, president, PSALM, Houston TX, presenter)
"Johannes was incredible. He was so musical; he knew how to register the organ to work in the room, and boy, could he play. And, what a nice man."
(Carroll Cole, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, presenter)
"German Organist Triumphs...virtuoso heart-stopping display...sheer ecstasy."
(The Trinity Tripod, Trinity College, Hartford CT)
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