Carl F. Schalk

Carl Schalk (1929-2021) was Distinguished Professor of Music Emeritus at Concordia University, in River Forest, Ill., where he had taught graduate courses in church music since 1965. Previously, he was a teacher and director of music at Zion Lutheran Church in Wassau, Wisc., and director of music for the International Lutheran Hour. He was editor of the journal Church Music from 1966-1980. He has served on various boards and committees for The Hymn Scociety, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship, which prepared the Lutheran Book of Worship. His choral compositions and hymn settings for congregational use are widely used. He has written over 50 hymn tunes and carols.

Schalk was born in Chicago in 1929. He earned a B.S. in Ed. from Concordia College, River Forest, Ill., and advanced degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester , N.Y., (M.Mus) and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (M.A.R.). He received several honorary degrees and was a Fellow of The Hymn Society in the US and Canada.


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