Biography

Martin Welzel is internationally active as a concert organist. He has appeared as a soloist at international concert series and music festivals throughout Europe, South Africa, Russia and the United States, performing at major cathedrals and concert venues including St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Bremen Cathedral, Washington National Cathedral and the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.

From 2006 to 2007, he held an interim professorship in organ at the Hochschule für Musik Saarbrücken. From 2017 to 2021, he was a lecturer in practical piano skills for music education at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich. From 2013 to 2021, he served as Associate Organist at the Theatinerkirche and Munich Cathedral. From 2021 to 2022, he served as acting Cathedral Organist at Munich Cathedral.

Since 2023, Martin Welzel has been principal organist of the Catholic parish of Wil, Switzerland, and artistic director of the concert series toccatawil. He is a lecturer in organ performance, organ improvisation and hymn playing at the Diözesane Kirchenmusikschule St. Gallen, where he heads the Organ Department.

Born in Vechta in 1972, Martin Welzel received his early musical training in Bremen with Michael Landsky, Kirchenmusikdirektor Wilfried Langosz and Käte van Tricht. He studied Catholic church music at the Hochschule für Musik Saarbrücken, earning his B-Diplom in 1997 and A-Diplom in 1999. His principal teachers included Daniel Roth and Wolfgang Rübsam in organ, Kristin Merscher in piano, and Andreas Göpfert and Wolfgang Helbich in choral conducting.

He continued his organ studies in Saarbrücken, obtaining the Konzertreife with distinction in 1999 and the Solistendiplom in 2001. He also studied harpsichord with Gerald Hambitzer. Further studies with Dr Carole Terry at the University of Washington in Seattle led to a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2005, awarded for a dissertation on Jeanne Demessieux. He was also a recipient of a Rotary Foundation scholarship.

For Naxos, Martin Welzel recorded three CDs of organ works by Max Reger at Trier Cathedral.