Dr. Joachim Segger

Biography

Joachim Segger is a versatile musician who regularly plays piano solo, duo and chamber recitals, as well as concertos. He has performed in various venues throughout North America, Europe and South Africa and is frequently heard on CBC local and national broadcasts. He was a semifinalist in the Gina Bachauer, CBC, Robert Casadesus, Maryland and Bach International Piano Competitions and was the winner of the prestigious Canadian Women's Club Competition in New York City that resulted in a Carnegie Recital Hall début.

Segger’s piano professors include Ernesto Lejano and Helmut Brauss (University of Alberta), Kurt Neumüller (Mozarteum, Salzburg), Cécile Staub Genhart (Eastman School of Music) and Menahem Pressler (University of Indiana). One of the youngest students at Eastman to receive the Performer’s Certificate, he also won the concerto competition and performed the Prokofiev Piano Concerto no. 2 with the Eastman Philharmonia conducted by David Effron.

Dr. Segger is Professor of Piano and Theory at The King's University and Adjunct Professor of Piano at the University of Alberta.

Joachim and his wife, Marnie Giesbrecht, collaborate as Duo Majoya. In addition to playing piano duet repertoire, they play organ duets and organ/piano duos. Their concert programs and CDs are broad in scope, including transcriptions, improvisations (Joachim) and new music. Their performances and recordings are received with critical acclaim. Works for organ and piano by several Canadian composers have been commissioned for Duo Majoya.

Joachim Segger is also an organist. He has given workshops on organ and/or piano improvisation at national conventions and conferences in Canada and the United States. He and Marnie are Directors of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Edmonton.

Information on Duo Majoya CDs can be seen at http://www.arktos.ca and http://www.majoya.com.

Selected works performed

*all duo performances are with Marnie Giesbrecht (Duo Majoya) unless otherwise stated

* July 20/05 Duo Majoya
Royal Canadian College of Organists, National Convention St. Andrew's United Church, London, Ontario
* June 27/05 Duo Majoya
American Guild of Organists, Regional Convention Opening Recital, American Lutheran Church, Billings, Montana
* May 13/05 Duo Majoya
Central Presbyterian Church Recital Series, RCCO, Hamilton, Ontario
* May 1/05 Organ Gala, Sundays at 3 Recital Series
World premiere performance O Sacred Head: by Charles Stolte performed by Duo Majoya, Francis Winspear Centre for Music
* April/05 Chamber Music Recital, Fleetwood CRC with Charles Stolte Vancouver, BC
* Feb. 4/05 Duo Majoya
MACH series, Organ and Harpsichord, Convocation Hall, U of A

Compact discs

* 2002 Bravato Piano recording, Works by Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Ginastera King's Performance Hall Arktos 200256
* 2002 Skyscape Organ and Piano, with Marnie Giesbrecht, New works by Utterback, McCune and Bÿsqdard Jack Singer Hall, Calgary, Alberta Arktos 200257
* 2000 The Elegance and the Ecstasy Piano Duets, with Marnie Giesbrecht Works by Mozart, Schubert and Brahms King's Performance Hall Arktos 20042
* 1998 Music for Organ and Piano written for Duo Majoya Bashaw (a compilation of works written by Howard Bashaw Arktos 2003940
* 1997 Transcriptions for Two: Firebird Organ and Piano, Organ Duet, Works by Grieg, Stravinksy, Mozart and Elgar West End CRC Arktos 97022
* 1994 "Dancing Ice" Solo & Duo Canadian Organ Music Organ duet, with Marnie Giesbrecht
Works by Kloppers, Krapf and Cabena West End CRC Arktos 94002

Community and other professional services

* 2003- Music Director First Presbyterian Church
* 2005 RCCO Centre Chairperson Edmonton Centre
* 2004 Co-chair Windspiration
* 2007 RCCO National Convention
* 1997- Alberta Registered Music Teacher's Association (ARMTA) Co-convener Concerto Competition
* 1996- Pianist for Pre-Tenors (comedy and improvisational spoof on "The Three Tenors")
* 1992- MUSICA FESTIVA Chair
* 1989- JASPER PLACE SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE ARTS Chair