Michael Burkhardt

Internationally known for innovative and inspiring hymn festivals and for creative work with children, Dr. Michael Burkhardt is in frequent demand as a choral clinician, organ recitalist and hymn festival leader.

Burkhardt is lecturer of organ at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, artist-professor of organ at Eastern Michigan University, and founder-artistic director of Hearts, Hands and Voices Worship and Fine Arts Program for Children in Southeast Michigan.

From 2008-2017 Burkhardt served Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Livonia, Michigan, as music mentor and cantor. From 2001-2007, he served on the faculty of Carthage College (ELCA) in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as director of choral activities, college organist and artist-in-residence. Prior to the appointment at Carthage, Burkhardt was a faculty associate of organ at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.

He has performed and led seminars at both national and regional events for the American Guild of Organists, the Hymn Society, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and the American Choral Directors Association, and since 2003 has made nine performance-teaching tours to South Korea and Singapore.

Burkhardt is author of "Part-Singing Global Style" (a resource focusing on sequential part-singing techniques in treble arrangements of global pieces), "Singing with Understanding" (a curriculum utilizing the great hymns, folk songs and spirituals of the church to share faith stories and to teach the elements of music and worship), "Read 'n Ring" (a graded curriculum for teaching literacy to and exploring musicianship for handbell/handchime ringers) and "Worship for the Young Child" (a worship resource providing engaging, inclusive worship experiences for young children with teaching guides), and "Creative Hymn Playing" (a hymn-based improvisation method-resource for organists).

He is composer of three settings of the Eucharistic liturgy, "A New Song," "Missa St. Andrew," and "Missa Mixolydian" as well as numerous organ improvisations, choral octavos and handbell compositions, available through MorningStar Music Publishers, E.C. Schirmer, Choristers Guild, Concordia Publishing House, Augsburg Fortress Publishers and GIA Music Publishers.