Dr. Jacobus Kloppers
Emeritus Professor, Music
Biography
Jacobus Kloppers (born 1937 in Krugersdorp, South Africa) served as Professor of Organ and Musicology and Chair of the Music Department at The King’s University College (currently The King’s University) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since its founding in 1979 until 2008. Until his retirement in 2013 he continued as Full-time Lecturer in Organ and Musicology at King’s as well as Adjunct Professor in Keyboard at the University of Alberta (a position he held since 1997).
In addition to his work at King’s University, he taught Organ privately in Edmonton since 1976. He served on the jury for the Tribach Festival Scholarship competition in Edmonton, 1985, and on various juries for the Johann Strauss Scholarship competitions since 1977. He was a member of the Organ Advisory Committee of the Winspear Centre, Edmonton (1994-2002) and in the summer of 2002 oversaw the final voicing of its new Davis Concert Hall Organ (built by Orgues Létourneau, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec). His compositions (around 90) include works sponsored by Canada Council, CBC, The Royal Canadian College of Organists, the Marjorie Young Bell Fine Arts and Music Fund at Mount Allison University, Sackville NB, the South African Foundation for the Creative Arts, churches and various private sponsors. These comprise organ solo works for liturgical and concert use, an organ concerto, alto-saxophone concerto, various anthems and choral music, two organ suites for organ duet, “Reflections” for piano solo, “Jack and the Bean Stalk” for organ and narrator, “Celtic Impressions” for organ solo, as well as a “Triptych: Carolingian Temperaments” for organ and alto-saxophone. His music is published in Canada, United States and South Africa and a number of these appear on 18 Compact Discs (including the German “Querstand” label) or on Youtube. His music has enjoyed performances in greater Europe, North- and South America, Hong Kong and South Africa and broadcasts on CBC, SABC, Radio Netherlands, Polish Radio 2 and Minnesota Public Radio.
Jacobus Kloppers is a member of The Edmonton Composers Concert Society/ “New Music Edmonton” (1987-2021), Canadian League of Composers, Associate Member of the Canadian Music Centre, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. In June 2008 he was inducted into the Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame in the Builder Category. In 2015 he received an Honorary Membership from the South African League of Church Organists (SAKOV). In 2024 he became an Honorary Fellow of the Summer Institute of Church Music.