Hour of organ music in St. Aurelius - Prof. Johannes Lang

**Bach and the Thomas organists** Professor Johannes Lang is a guest in the ancient little church in the Black Forest with its beautiful-sounding organ from the Rohlf workshop. The program places Bach's work in the context of his closest colleague, the Thomas organist, who played the organ during his cantata performances and also performed as a soloist in the services at St. Thomas Church. Works by Ammerbach, Kuhnau, Görner, Piutti, and others from the long line of important organists will be performed. And, of course, by Johann Sebastian Bach. **Johannes Lang** was born in Düsseldorf in 1989. He studied church music (organ with Prof. Martin Schmeding, improvisation with Prof. Karl Ludwig Kreutz), historical keyboard instruments/harpsichord with Prof. Dr. Robert Hill, and concert organ at the Freiburg University of Music. After winning eleven first prizes as an organist, harpsichordist, and pianist at the national competition "Jugend musiziert," he went on to win organ competitions in Lübeck (Buxtehude Competition 2009), Bellelay (2011), Leipzig (Bach Competition 2012) and was a prize winner at competitions in Ljubljana (2007), Herford (2008) and Munich (ARD Competition 2011). He was a scholarship holder of the German Music Foundation and the German National Academic Foundation, among others, and is dedicated to an intensive, worldwide concert career. After working as a church musician in Freiburg and as a city cantor in Lörrach, he was cantor at the Friedenskirche Potsdam-Sanssouci for five years from October 2016 and lecturer for artistic organ playing, organ improvisation, and harpsichord at the Institute for Church Music at the Berlin University of the Arts. On January 6, 2022, Johannes Lang was inducted into his position as Thomasorganist during a festive service and has since been performing in church services, motets, concerts, and organ tours at the Thomaskirche. One focus of his work is continuo playing based on historical sources on large and small organs, as well as improvisation. In November 2022, he was awarded the Markgräfler Art Prize for his artistic work. Johannes Lang teaches organ at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University of Music and Theater in Leipzig, which appointed him honorary professor on December 20, 2023. His initiative for the "Gravity Bach" project attracted particular attention, in which he performed the entire organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach in 22 hours at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig on Reformation Day 2025, which could also be experienced worldwide via ARTE Concert. In addition, he is involved in the board work of the German Bell Museum Association, the Central German Organ Society Altenburg, and the St. Thomae Canons Foundation. Various activities as a juror, lecturer at master classes, radio and CD recordings (including Clavierübung III at the Bach Foundation in St. Gallen and his debut CD "In the Spirit of Bach" as Thomas organist on the Rondeau label) and training as a bell expert further enhance his profile.