07/02/2026
NPM Detroit Composer's Corner
Featuring local liturgical composers
Dr. Horst BUCHHOLZ
- Mass of Saint Francis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rluteypF9Y
(English mass setting, published by Ignatius Press in the Adoremus Hymnal; now also in Source & Summit. Copyright is with the composer, and people may request scores directly)
- Watermusic (Music for the Sprinkling Rite) - https://canticanova.com/catalog/products/g_water_music.htm
Two simple Latin SATB settings for the antiphons for the Sprinkling Rite during the Easter season and the rest of the year.
- Festive Processional for organ - canticanova.com
An easy processional for organ in the style of the English trumpet tunes, based on the Salve Regina
- The Good Shepherd for unison [children's] choir with an optional descant and piano.
Commissioned by the Saint Louis Children's Choir. Unpublished; currently available from the composer.
- Festival March "Thou Art Peter" for organ. Commissioned by the parish of St. Peter, Jesserson City, MO, for their 175th anniversary.
Musica Sacra Saint Louis. Available from the composer.
- Easter Alleluia for SATB choir, assembly, organ, and optional brass quartet. Verses for Easter, Christ the King, Corpus Christi. etc.
Musica Sacra Saint Louis. Available from the composer.
Biography
Dr. Horst Buchholz is an internationally acclaimed conductor, organist, and educator, currently serving as Director of Sacred Music at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He earned a Doctor of Music in conducting from Indiana University, following earlier studies in organ, church music, and composition at Berlin’s University of the Arts and the Berlin College of Church Music.
His distinguished career includes leadership positions at cathedrals in Denver, Cleveland, and St. Louis, along with teaching appointments at Cleveland State University, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Denver, and various seminaries. In 2025, Dr. Buchholz joined the faculty of Madonna University as Adjunct Professor of Music, where he teaches organ and counterpoint.
A longtime Vice President of the Church Music Association of America, he has played a vital role in promoting sacred music through teaching, scholarship, and performance. He is a passionate advocate for Gregorian and Ambrosian chant and is known for reviving forgotten sacred works with historical and artistic sensitivity.
Horst’s teaching and writing reflect his deep commitment to excellence, relevance, and lifelong learning. He inspires students to explore music’s cultural and spiritual dimensions, fostering a deeper understanding of its role in worship, history, and human expression.
Most recently, Horst has accepted the position as Conductor and Music Director of the Livonia Symphony Orchestra.
[email protected]
