Composer, organist, pianist, conductor, priest, husband, teacher – Leif Kayser was certainly a multifaceted individual.
Born in Copenhagen on this date in 1919, Kayer began his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in 1936. In Stockholm, he studied composition with Hilding Rosenberg and conducting with Tor Mann. In 1941, he made his debut as a pianist, in Copenhagen, and as a conductor, in Gothenburg.
As a composer, he emerged as one of Denmark’s most promising young symphonists. However, following theological studies in Rome, Kayser was ordained in 1949. He largely abandoned concert music – but you can’t keep a good composer down.
Over time, he began to write for the organ and gradually he produced another symphony. He served as pastor and organist of St. Ansgar Roman Catholic Cathedral until 1964. Then he left the Church to marry and to teach at his alma mater, the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Kayser died in 2001. He is still regarded as one of the leading organ composers of Denmark.
We’ll remember Leif Kayser, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, with a performance of his Symphony No. 2. It will serve as the spire atop a cathedral in sound, as we also observe the birthdays today of Antonín Vranický (1761-1820), Anton Eberl (1765-1807), and Carlos Chávez (1899-1978).
That will be me in the cowl, enacting the ol’ switcheroo with David Osenberg, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
PHOTO: Kayser pulls out all the stops for his centenary