About the Concert

The Saint Bridget Friends of Music Concert Series is back and proud to showcase one of Richmond's premier organists, Joel Kumro. Mr. Kumro serves as Organist and Choirmaster at Saint Benedict Catholic Church, Richmond. ​A Gift of Music to the Richmond Community, all concerts are free, though donations are gratefully accepted.

Concert Program

• Grand Dialogue du 5e Ton, Louis Marchand 1669–1732
• Partite Diverse Sopra: Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen, BWV 770, J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
• Organ Sonata in A Major, Op.65, No. 3, Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
• Stèle pour un enfant défunt, from Tryptique, Op. 58, No. 3, Louis Vierne (1870–1937)
• Praeludium in E minor “Big,” Nicolaus Bruhns (1665–1697)

Artist Biography

Joel S. Kumro received an undergraduate music degree from SUNY Buffalo State and studied organ privately with Margaret Harper at the Eastman School of Music. He received a Master of Arts in Liturgical Music from Saint John’s University in Collegeville MN, where he studied organ with Kim Kasling, voice with Carolyn Finley, chant with Fr. Anthony Ruff, and conducting with Axel Theimer. 

Joel is the Choirmaster and Organist at Saint Benedict Catholic Church in Richmond, VA. In addition to planning music for all liturgical celebrations and directing choirs of both adults and children, he also coordinates the parish concert series and is the instructor of Liturgical Music at Saint Benedict Catholic School.

Performing frequently as an organist, tenor, and harpsichordist, Joel has appeared with organizations including the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM,) the Richmond and Twin Cities Chapters of the American Guild of Organists, American Institute of Organbuilders, Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians, RVA Baroque, Classical Revolution RVA, Richmond Concert Chorale, Central Virginia Masterworks Chorale, Forgotten Clefs, Camerata di Sant’ Antonio, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. In 2012, he was a featured soloist for the dedication ceremony of the new Robert H. Jackson U.S. Courthouse in Buffalo, NY. In 2018, he assisted in conducting the modern premiere of Michel Richard de Lalande’s grand motet Ad Te Domino Clamabo, S. 64, with RVA Baroque. He was also a featured recitalist for the annual conventions of NPM in 2018 and 2020. In 2021, he performed on the Summer Organ Recital Series at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. 

Joel is a member of the Richmond Chapter of NPM and serves on the NPM National Organ Steering Committee. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Richmond Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of the Richmond-based period instrument ensemble RVA Baroque, formerly Jefferson Baroque, as well as the Charlottesville-based ensemble Three Notch’d Road. He continues vocal studies with Dr. Patrick Carlin.

Joel has been published twice in the theological journal Obsculta including his 2016 article, “Millennials, the Church, and Liturgy.” 

About our Organ

Saint Bridget is home to the Buzard Opus 42. Organ Builder John-Paul Buzard is one of America’s pre-eminent organ builders. His firm strives to integrate the best of the symphonic organ tradition within a framework of classical voicing and construction, providing instruments equally adept at service and repertoire playing.