Bert Matter

Bert Matter
Black and white, studio, three-quarter profile publicity headshot of a smiling, bearded man with heavy eyebrows, wavy hair, and a look of joy about him.
Matter, in the 1990s
Born(1937-04-29)29 April 1937
Baambrugge, Netherlands
Died26 August 2026(2026-08-26) (aged 89)
Zutphen, Netherlands
EducationRotterdams Conservatorium
Occupations
  • Organist
  • Composer
  • Academic teacher
Organizations
Awards
Websitebertmatter.nl

Bert Matter (29 April 1937 – 26 August 2026) was a Dutch organist and composer who worked at the Walburgiskerk in Zutphen for 33 years. He was instrumental in the restoration of its Bader/Timpe organ and made many recordings. He gave concerts internationally, with a focus on improvisation. He taught at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and was also chief editor of Het Orgel published by the Dutch Organist Society. His compositions are mostly based on psalms and hymns, often in minimal music style.

Life and career

Egbert Jan Matter was born on 29 April 1937 in Baambrugge, to Hendrik Margienus Matter and Grietje Frederika Wiersma; his father was a pastor of the Reformed Church. He began taking organ lessons in 1953 with Pieter Vandekorkoff. The lessons were first held at the teacher's home, but with improved capabilities, were moved to the large Walcker organ of the Reformed Church in Rotterdam which was suitable to works of the French Romantic music, but not the music of Sweelinck and Bach. Vandekorkoff taught a technique initiated by Marcel Dupré, with a focus on legato playing.: 10–11 

Matter studied piano and organ at the Rotterdams Conservatorium, organ with Piet van den Kerkhoff [nl] and improvisation with Cor Kee [nl]. During his studies he played the organ in Charlois, Hoogeveen, Almen and De Wijngaard in Zutphen.

From 1960, he taught organ at the musical school in Deventer. He became a lecturer of music theory at the Utrechts Conservatorium in 1967, and the principal organ teacher at the Arnhem Conservatory in 1969. He became organist at the Walburgiskerk in Zutphen in 1969. He was instrumental in the restoration of its Bader/Timpe organ, completed in 1996. The instrument was then regarded as one of the finest in the country. He made many recordings of organ music before and after the restoration, including works by Bach and Franck. He gave concerts internationally, with a focus on improvisation.

Matter became principal lecturer at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in 1987, influencing notable students. His students included Els Dijkerman, Toon Hagen [nl], Joost Langeveld, Johan Luimes, Henk Luijmes, Klaas Stok, Paul Tegels, and Pieter Van Dijk.: 15  He retired from his organist position in 2002 and was succeeded by Klaas Stok [nl].

Matter was active in organisation of the Royal Dutch Organists' Association and in the International Organ Days Rijnstreek. He served as the chief editor of the Het Orgel magazine from 1967 to 1970. He was a guest lecturer and a jury member at competitions. In 2009, he co-authored In goede harmonie, a workbook for composing and performing choral settings of the Genevan Psalter, together with Peter Molenaar.

Matter became a knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1997. In 2012, Matter was awarded the Sweelinck Prize [nl], the Dutch prize awarded to persons with an outstanding contribution to organ music. Matter received the prize for his role in the education of young organists, his talent for improvisation, and his internationally known compositions.

Matter died on 26 August 2026 in Zutphen, aged 89.

Compositions

Matter composed around 40 compositions, mostly based on psalms and hymns. His music is influenced by minimal music, such as that of Steve Reich. In 2002, a recording of some of his works was made by his students, Els Dijkerman, Johan Luijmes, Toon Hagen and Klaas Stok, named Bert Matter Organ Works. They chose, besides shorter works for worship, three Fantasies and two Partitas. A reviewer noted that he, along with Jan Welmers gave organ improvisation a new dimension, by not turning "to avant-garde trends or formalist theories", but to minimalist composition.

Organ

Vocal music

Film score

Hymn

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hijing, Christa (2026). "Bert Matter benoemd tot cantoororganist Walburgiskerk". liedboekcompendium.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Organist, docent en componist Bert Matter (89) overleden". Orgel Nieuws (in Dutch). 27 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Riedstra, Siebe (2012). "Bert Matter – Orgelwerken". Opus Klassiek (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Dekker, Christopher Joel (7 April 2018). "The Organ Works of Bert Matter". University of Notre Dame du Lac (dissertation). South Bend, Indiana. p. 71. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Organist Bert Matter (1937-2026) improviseerde en componeerde met invloeden van minimal music". NPO Klassiek (in Dutch). 27 August 2026. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 Hebing, Theo (15 February 2019). "Bert Matter benoemd tot cantoororganist Walburgiskerk". Zutphen (in Dutch). p. 23.
  7. ↑ Knijff, Jan-Piet (2003). "Bert Matter retires after 33 years in Zutphen". Het Orgel. No. 1.
  8. ↑ "Uitreiking Sweelinckprijs aan Bert Matter". Orgel Nieuws (in Dutch). 30 August 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Bert Matter – Orgelwerken Deel 1 (in Dutch). Edition Pors. 2004.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Bert Matter – Orgelwerken Deel 2 (in Dutch). Edition Pors. 2004.
  11. ↑ "Bert Matter/Cor Kee – Magnificat". Soundcloud. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Geef vrede, Heer, geef vrede". baderorgel.nl. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "De staart van de leeuw". idfa. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "1a – Gelukkig is de mens". liedboekcompendium.nl. Retrieved 31 August 2026.