David Rumsey

Curriculum vitæ

David Rumsey was born in Sydney. He began organ studies with Donald Hollier and Norman Johnston. As winner of the prize for "Most Distinguished Student of the Year" and the prestigious Vasanta Scholarship, he travelled to Europe in 1963 to continue studies with Jørgen-Ernst Hansen (Copenhagen), Marie-Claire Alain (Paris) and Anton Heiller (Vienna). In 1967, after graduating from the Vienna Akademie with the "Reifeprüfung", he returned to take up a position at the University of Adelaide in South Australia.

Moving back to Sydney in 1969 he further developed his growing reputation as an organist, teacher and organ consultant. He has travelled extensively in the course of his career, with destinations as far apart as Italy, Austria, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Holland, England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, USA and Canada in the northern hemisphere, with Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, India and Singapore in the southern hemisphere and Asia-Pacific area. In the course of this he has made many Radio and TV broadcasts (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2MBS-FM Sydney, Swiss Radio, New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, USA, Canada) and numerous disc and CD recordings for labels such as ABC Classics, 2MBS-FM and Tall Poppies.

For over 25 years, until 1998, he was the regular organist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and as such frequently presided over the Grand Organs of Sydney Opera House and Sydney Town Hall. He is also known as a broadcaster and was a pioneer in FM radio in Australia. His associations with multimedia events have included performances of the Saint Saëns "Organ" Symphony to 100,000 people with the orchestra in Sydney Domain (via a micro-wave link - the organ was several kilometres away in Sydney Town Hall). In 1998 he wrote, produced, acted and performed in a highly successful 14-hour musical and dramatic spectacle on the life of J. S. Bach, with actors in period costume from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, and musicians playing period instruments.

In March 1999 he resigned his Senior Lectureship at the University of Sydney to travel around Europe, USA and Canada where he gave recitals and master classes. He came back to a busy recital schedule in Australia between March and August 2000, after which he returned to Denmark for more concerts.

He then settled in Switzerland. Domiciled now in Basel he is involved in a complex of professional activities on the broader European, American and Australia/Pacific musical scene. He frequently deputizes in the Basel region and thus presides over organs as widely varied as the all-mechanical "swallow's nest" instrument (emulating Tugi 1487-93) at the Predigerkirche, and the 1921 Späth, all-pneumatic instrument, at the Heiliggeistkirche. His regular position is as one of the two "titulaires" at Herz Jesu Church in Laufen.

His engagements over the past few years have included writing and performing the music for the first Swiss production of the Brazilian Ariano Suassuna's play "Das Testament des Hundes" (The Dog's Will) with the "Schwarze Gigger" theatre company at Allschwil, and directing two Swiss choirs. Apart from numerous recitals David Rumsey has also appeared as soloist in a Handel Organ Concerto (with the Chamber Orchestra of Jura), Mozart's "Organ Solo Mass" (Heiliggeistkirche, Basel) and participated in concerts with a number of German and Swiss choirs. In 2006 he was involved in a dual centennary celebration concert with works of Michael Haydn and Johann Pachelbel in Laufen.

David Rumsey is the author of many technical articles about organs and a partner in writing an organ lexicon now approaching publication. He recently served on an advisory committee for the restoration of Auckland Town Hall organ in New Zealand. Amongst other projects and consultancies has been involvement with important historic restorations - including the 1874 Walker at St. Stephen's, Newtown (Sydney) and the 1737/1799 Nacchini/Callido at San Martino (Venice). He has also been responsible for new organs at Christ Church (Vienna), St. Alban's Church, Epping, and the "Bach" organ at Abbotsleigh, Wahroonga (the last two in Sydney). Currently he is consultant for the restoration of the famous Welte organ at Seewen (Switzerland).

Major forthcoming events are the opening performance at the triennial Laufen Organ Festival (Bach E-flat major, Alain Trois Danses, Reubke 94th Psalm) on April 27th 2007 and the inaugural recital on the newly restored organ at Seewen on November 3rd.