Dirk Elsemann (* August 18, 1977 in Rhede/Westphalia)
received his first organ lessons at the age of seven from Alfred Heinzel, Bocholt, and took up his first organist position at the Christuskirche, Bocholt, in 1989. From 1994 to 2000, he was organist at Heilig Kreuz, Bocholt. In 1994, he won first prize (organ improvisation) in the national "Jugend musiziert" competition. He attended master classes with Frédéric Blanc, Anders Bondeman, Helmut Deutsch, Mikko Korhonen, Jon Laukvik, Tomasz Adam Nowak, Peter Planyavsky, Jan Raas, and Daniel Roth. From 1997 to 2004, he studied church music in Düsseldorf and Berlin, graduating with an A-diploma. His teachers included Stefan Schmidt, Leo van Doeselaar, Erwin Wiersinga, Paolo Crivellaro, Wolfgang Seifen, Raimund Wippermann, and Uwe Gronostay. 1999 Winner of the Gottfried Schreuer Prize for artistic organ playing and improvisation in Düsseldorf. Since 2001, church musician at Heilig Kreuz/Berlin-Wilmersdorf. 2005 Concert exam in organ improvisation with distinction. Since 2004, he has been reconstructing and expanding the romantic Steinmeyer-Elsemann organ in the Catholic Church Heilig Kreuz/Berlin-Wilmersdorf. 2003 – 2021 Teaching position for liturgical organ playing and improvisation at the UdK Berlin. 2008 – 2013 Teaching position for organ playing in worship at the Evangelical Church Seminar Berlin. 2016 – 2024 Teaching position for organ improvisation at the HMTM in Hanover. 2021 – 2025 Visiting professor, from 2026 full professor of liturgical studies. He studied organ playing and improvisation at the Berlin University of the Arts. Since 2014, he has been a member of the Archbishop's Church Music Commission in Berlin. His musical work is rounded out by concert appearances throughout Europe, as well as radio and CD recordings.