Growing God's Kingdom through His Gift of Music
Story: Amy Crawford
Photos: Liz Kucera
The Stelzer endowed professorship honors university’s legacy and Christ-centered music education.
In 2025, Dr. Jeffrey Blersch was appointed as the Stelzer Endowed Professor of Music at Concordia University, Nebraska in recognition of his excellence in organ performance, scholarly contributions to sacred music, and longstanding dedication to mentoring the next generation of church musicians. He was also named as University Organist. He will retain this appointment as long as he is a full-time faculty member in good standing at the university.
“Endowed professorship donations are one of many types of important and impactful donations made to the university,” explained Senior Director of Development and Engagement Scott Seevers. “Our supporters realize Concordia faculty are very talented and fully committed to their students. Endowed professorships provide funds to partially underwrite those positions while also resourcing faculty members to invest in professional development or research. That really resonates with the donors. In the same way, professors appreciate the support that allows them to grow, innovate, and provide a margin of excellence in their own ministry to benefit their students. That’s priceless!”
The new endowed professorship was created with a donation from one of the university’s longtime anonymous supporters. The endowed position is named for Dr. Theodore Stelzer, an accomplished musician, organist, composer and educator who was called to then-named Concordia Teacher’s College in 1926 to teach courses at both the high school and college levels. Early in his tenure at Concordia, he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska as well as a doctorate in music from the Detroit Conservatory of Music in 1929. It was unusual for Lutheran teachers or college professors to have doctorates at that time, and this was one of many things that set Stelzer apart from his peers. Stelzer is perhaps best known for founding the University A Cappella Choir in 1938 and also made a tremendous impact on the Seward campus and in the church at large with his compositions, performances, teaching and scholarly writings. He was known to have many and various interests and passions but always fulfilled his various vocations with a focus on bringing glory to Christ alone.
Seeking to honor Dr. Stelzer’s legacy and the Concordia Nebraska music department’s focus on glorifying God through music – which echoes Stelzer’s heart and focus – the endowed professorship was bestowed his name.
“This is really all about growing God’s kingdom,” added Advancement Officer Pete Kenow. “The donors have a huge heart for supporting the church and its music programs. Throughout our conversations, they gravitated toward the idea of an endowed professorship in music. It was important that the endowment recognized both the pioneering legacy of Professor Stelzer and honored the history, mission and vision of Concordia University’s music department.
Although some endowed faculty positions rotate every two years, the Stelzer Endowed Professorship will remain with Blersch throughout his tenure at the university. Blersch was selected to receive the honor by recommendation of the university president, provost and music faculty and the recommendation was approved by the university Board of Regents.
“The details of the appointment really aren’t different from what I’ve been doing for many years,” he explained. “But, to have an official title attached to my position in recognition of my teaching and my contributions to the musical life of the church is both very humbling and a great honor.”
Blersch is one of four organ instructors in the music department and teaches organ lessons and organ-related courses including Service Playing I and II as well as Organ Literature and Design. He also teaches second year music theory courses for music majors and is the conductor of Cantamus Women’s Choir. In 2023, he received Concordia Nebraska’s Outstanding Teaching Award.
“I have been an active church musician since I was appointed organist of my home church, Peace Lutheran in Cincinnati, Ohio, when I was eight years old,” he said. “I started playing organ when I was six, and it was the organist at Peace who taught me to read bass clef, play from the hymnal, asked me to play a hymn while she took communion and asked me to substitute for her during vacations and during a maternity leave. When she decided it was time to step back from being the organist, the very kind and encouraging folks at Peace took a chance on a young eight-year-old boy and gave me my start in what would turn out to be my career.”
Blersch has a bachelor of music degree in organ performance and a master of music in music education from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, as well as a doctor of musical arts from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has served at Concordia Nebraska since June 2002.
He said the best thing about his job is working with and interacting with students on a daily basis.
“Being a church musician and teaching music in a place that historically prides itself on preparing future church workers is a natural fit for me. That is the reason I wanted to come to Seward nearly a quarter of a century ago,” he said. “My predecessor, Dr. Charles Ore, had built quite the program which teaches students not only to be excellent organists, but excellent liturgical organists who value and understand the role that musical leadership plays in the life of a congregation. To be able to take on that role following Charles was a true honor.”
Being a church musician and teaching music in a place that historically prides itself on preparing future church workers is a natural fit for me.
Blersch and his wife Carla have been married for 30 years. She is also an organist and pianist and has taught piano and keyboard skills as an adjunct professor in the music department at Concordia Nebraska since 2007. She also teaches piano at Seward’s St. John Lutheran School and serves as an organist at Redeemer Lutheran Church in David City. The Blersches have three children. Their oldest son, Aaron ’19 is married to Kelsey. He is a math teacher at Seward High School. Son Ryan works in e-commerce in Waco, Texas. And daughter Jenna is a junior in the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is studying music performance, music recording technology and business.
When they’re not making music or working with student musicians, the Blersches enjoy walking and anything water-related, especially swimming, boating and sailing. They enjoy spending time at Branched Oak Lake – not far from the Concordia campus - during the summers on their sailboat, Anna Rose. Carla is an avid knitter and has been hosting a knitting podcast for a little over five years. He is also a big baseball fan.
“I root for my hometown team, Cincinnati Reds, even though they have been ‘rebuilding’ for 34 years!” he laughed.
Blersch also enjoys writing music and has published more than 300 titles with Concordia Publishing House and some with Northwestern Publishing House. His website - Jeffreyblersch.com- includes a catalog of all of his published collections.
“I am really proud that this May represents the 30-year anniversary of my first publication with Concordia Publishing House,” he said. “I truly value the relationship I have been privileged to have with them these many years.”
This past fall, Concordia Publishing House asked Blersch to serve as editor of a new 13-volume series, the Hymn Playing Compendium, which will provide varied introductions and accompaniments for every hymn in Lutheran Service Book. One new volume will be released every six months for the next six and a half years, with the first volume expected to be released on December 1, 2026.
“Dr. Blersch has established a national reputation as a concert organist and his performances consistently inspire congregations and audiences alike,” said Provost Dr. Tim Preuss. “In addition, Jeff is a prolific composer and arranger of sacred music that is widely performed in Lutheran and other Christian denominations. Finally, Dr. Blersch has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the formation of future church musicians by mentoring so many Concordia organ students individually.”
Seevers said it can be difficult to find quality, Christian faculty in a world that offers anything but Christ-focused, but that Concordia Nebraska has been fortunate to be able to attract like-minded and talented professors that bless the university’s students.
“These endowments are another way to not only attract but also retain top talent and support them as they make an impact through their ministry and work,” said Seevers. “When you think about how long people stay at Concordia – decades – and how many students benefit from that impact, that’s really something. These donations help and stabilize Concordia and, in this case, advance the music department. This is one more way to fund not only Concordia’s mission but our contribution to the church at large. These gifts make a tremendous difference!”
Music Department Chair and Professor of Music Dr. Kurt von Kampen is thankful for donor support that allows Concordia’s music programs to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through music to many.
“It’s exciting to see that friends of Concordia have interest in endowing positions in music. Concordia’s music program is one of the university’s great strengths and providing funding for its future is a blessing that we are all very thankful for,” said von Kampen. “Thanks be to God for His provisions through the generosity of our donors.”