Samuel Backman Organ Recital

On May 7, 3pm, organist Samuel Backman will be giving an organ recital at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Samuel currently serves as Director of Sacred Music at Holy Cross Catholic Church, where he chairs a multi-faceted music program across three campuses. Samuel functions as principal organist and as conductor and founder of the Holy Cross Choir, St. Helena Singers, and Tenebrae Choir. Upon his arrival, he sought to enrich the cultural milieu of Northeast Minneapolis through the foundation of a concert series entitled Music at Holy Cross. Prior to his employment at Holy Cross, he held positions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Golden Valley, MN; the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul, MN; Saint Philip’s Episcopal Church in Ardmore, OK, Saint Paul’s on the Green Episcopal Church in Norwalk, CT, and the University Church at Yale in New Haven, CT.

An active performer, Samuel and has been featured as an organ recitalist for conferences hosted by the American Guild of Organists and the Church Music Association of America. His performances have also been featured on Pipedreams, a National Public Radio Broadcast service hosted by Michael Barone. He is also a composer and arranger of music for choir, organ, piano, and chamber ensembles, and his compositions have been published by Paraclete Press.

Sam holds degrees from Saint Olaf College (B.M.), the Yale School of Music (M.M.), and the University of Oklahoma, (D.M.A.) He completed his organ studies in performance and improvisation with John Ferguson, Catherine Rodland, Martin Jean, Damin Spritzer, and John Schwandt, and he studied conducting with Anton Armstrong, Christopher Aspaas, Maguerite Brooks, and Timothy Mahr. Samuel is a recipient of many distinguished scholarships and awards, including Saint Olaf College’s G. Winston Cassler Scholarship, Yale University’s Mary Baker Award for excellence in organ accompaniment, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago’s Ruth and Paul Manz Scholarship Competition, and nomination to Pi Kappa Lambda, a national honor society for music.

Come to the Shrine on May 7, 3:00 p.m., to enjoy the exceptional talent of organist Samuel Backman. Admission is free and open to all.