Mark P. Bangert is the John H. Tietjen professor of pastoral theology: worship, and music, emeritus at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. There he taught courses in worship and music, served as dean of the chapel and director of the LSTC Chorus. In addition, he is the emeritus Bach Choir Artistic director and scholar in residence at Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Luke, Chicago. Under his direction, the St. Luke Bach Choir has presented 119 of the sacred cantatas, the Christmas Oratorio, the St. Mark, St. John and St. Matthew passions, and the Mass in b-minor.

An accomplished musician, Bangert studied oboe with Ray Still, Grover Schiltz (Chicago Symphony) and C. Thomas Stacy (New York Philharmonic). He has played with the Indianapolis Philharmonic, was a member of the St. Louis-based Gateway Woodwind Quintet and an extra with the St. Louis Symphony. Conducting studies were with Robert Bergt (American Kantorei and Musachino Institute, Tokyo, Japan) and with Helmut Rilling as a member of the master class for conductors at the Oregon Bach Festival. Pursuing an interest in multicultural church music, he has researched local church music in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Bali and the Philippines.

Ordained in 1965, Bangert served congregations in Illinois and Missouri and taught at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., and Christ Seminary-Seminex before joining the LSTC faculty in 1983. As the AELC representative to the Joint Committee on Worship he chaired the task force that produced the 1982 Occasional Services.

Bangert has published widely in the area of church music. In 1991 and 1993 he was invited as a guest presenter to the Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft für theologische Bachforschung (International Society for Theological Bach Research) and promoted to membership in 1995. Bangert served as a U.S.A. representative to a five-year Lutheran World Federation study team on worship and culture. He organized and conducted the annual “Bach for the Sem” LSTC benefit concerts 1992-2014.

Bangert received the bachelor of arts degree from Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, IN, the master of divinity and master of sacred theology degrees from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, and the master of arts and doctor of philosophy degrees from the University of Minnesota. He has also studied at Indiana University, Northwestern University, and St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Bangert and his spouse, Kristi, live in Chicago and have six children and fourteen grandchildren.