The German choral conductor, organist and church musician, Michael Gerisch, began taking piano and violin lessons at an early age. From 1974 he studied church music in
Dresden and at the Musikhochschule "Franz Liszt" in
Weimar. He successfully completed his studies with the A exam (diploma in music).
In 1985 Michael Gerisch became Kantor and organist of the Kirchengemeinde Dresden Bad Weißer Hirsch and was appointed lecturer in score playing and organ at the
Kirchenmusikschule Dresden. He can look back on numerous organ concerts, including being the guest organist of the
Dresdner Philharmonie and the
Dresdner Kreuzchor during his time in
Dresden.
Michael Gerisch has been a church musician in the Kirchengemeinde Kassel-Kirchditmold since 1992. The focus of his work here is choral work with children, young people and adults. He conducts the "Kirchemäuse", the
Kinderchor, the Kantorei Kirchditmold
and the Seniorenchor. Worship services are regularly accompanied by music, and these choral groups have long been active nationwide. Highlights are the performances of oratorios, e.g. in 2004 the widely acclaimed and critically acclaimed performance of
J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) with the
Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum Leipzig.
The importance of church music - the word-tone relationship - is of crucial importance for Michael Gerisch: "Making music outside and inside the service has an exclusively preaching character!" The gospel in connection with music often has a deeper entrance into the human soul than the "just" spoken word. In the evening music that takes place every Saturday at 6 p.m. in the
Kirchditmolder Kirche, he plays a variety of chamber, solo, vocal and instrumental music. The church interior should be a place of reflection and encounter for the people.
On January 18, 2004, Michael Gerisch was appointed Kirchenmusikdirektor (KMD) by the Bishop of the
Evangelischen Kirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck for his musical services. |