Peter Christian Lutkin

March 27, 1858 - December 27, 1931 Born in Thompsonville, Wisconsin. Lutkin was a member of the faculty of Northwestern University's Conservatory of Music and played a role in restoring the Conservatory and bringing it into the College of Arts and Sciences. Lutkin later served as Dean of the School of Music when it was formed. In 1871 he began his first formal training in music, studying organ with Clarence Eddy, piano with Regina Watson and theory with Frederick Grant Gleason in Chicago. He joined the faculty of Northwestern University's Conservatory of Music in 1879 as an Instructor in Piano. In 1881 he went to Berlin for further study with Oscar Ralf for piano, August Haupt for organ and Waldemar Bargiel for composition. A year later he was the only foreigner admitted to the musical department of the Royal Academy of Arts in Berlin. While in Europe he also studied piano and composition with Theodore Leschetitzky in Vienna and with Moritz Moszkowsky in Paris. Lutkin's major interest was church and choral music. This is evidenced by his many activities. At Northwestern he founded the Women's Cecilian Choir and the men's Glee Club. He brought national fame to the School of Music by organizing the A Cappella Choir in 1906, the first permanent organization of its kind in America. He composed music for organ and piano, but specialized in unaccompanied vocal music, written mainly for use by the Northwestern choir.