The National Music Museum presents a special performance by organist Dr. Marie Rubis Bauer, Archdiocesan Director of Music and Cathedral Organist at Saint Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. Known for her artistry on landmark American and European organs, Rubis Bauer brings a wealth of experience as performer, educator, and early music specialist. She has appeared at major international festivals and conventions, performed throughout the United States and Europe, and recorded widely as both soloist and chamber musician.

For this program, Rubis Bauer will perform on the Museum’s recently restored 1808 Dieffenbach organ (NMM 04905), a towering Pennsylvania-German tracker organ that stands nearly 12 feet tall and features 306 pipes. Originally built for Zion Lutheran & Reformed Church in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, this remarkable instrument is one of only seven Dieffenbach organs known to survive and the only one housed in a major public collection. The concert will take place in the Richard Cutler Gallery, where the organ is featured as part of the NMM’s Music & Spirituality exhibition.

Audiences will experience a unique convergence of history, music, and faith traditions as Rubis Bauer explores the power and intimacy of early American organ repertoire. This concert not only celebrates a rare treasure of American organ building but also highlights the continuing vitality of sacred and concert organ performance in the modern era.

This program is funded by the Clayton & Odessa Lang Ofstad Foundation, Bank of America N. A., Co-Trustee. The NMM Live! Series is made possible by the USD Student Government Association and the South Dakota Arts Council through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About the Instrument

Dieffenbach Pipe Organ (1808) – Bethel, Pennsylvania
Maker: Christian Dieffenbach
This single-manual Pennsylvania-German tracker pipe organ was built in 1808 for the Zion Lutheran & Reformed Church in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Standing 11 feet, 9 inches tall with 306 pipes, it is one of the most iconic objects in the NMM’s collection. Only seven Dieffenbach organs survive today, and the NMM’s example is the only one in a major public collection. Restored as part of the museum’s permanent exhibition renovation, the organ embodies the craftsmanship and musical traditions of early American communities.
Arne B. and Jeanne F. Larson Fund, and J. Laiten Weed Estate, 1990. NMM 04905.