Dr. Rene Schmidt

Dr. Schmidt works with the organ collections of the Sacred Music Library.  Originally from Minnesota and the son of a Lutheran minister, Dr. Schmidt holds degrees from Luther College, Southern Methodist University with masters in organ and harpsichord, and the Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Texas where his doctoral dissertation focused on the Christmas Cantatas of Christoph Graupner.  Equally at home as a scholar, educator, church musician, and volunteer for historical projects in the community, Dr. Schmidt is the recipient of numerous awards from entities such as the Dallas ISD, the Dallas Symphony, and Preservation Dallas.  His long, dedicated service to Christ Episcopal Church in Oak Cliff was accompanied by teaching in the Anglican School of Theology for over a decade, and numerous leadership positions in the Dallas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  Learn to know him, and you’ll not only learn about church music but you might get a tip on a good mystery book or two!   He frequently hosts a Murder, Mystery and Spirituality book club that, like church music, spawns perennial questions with soul searching answers.