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From spontaneous music-making around the family dinner table to commanding the power of a cathedral pipe organ, Rachael Kresha has built a life around music. As an organ instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Superior and music director at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior, she helps students and audiences discover that the organ is far more dynamic and inspiring than many people realize.
A Lifelong Musical Journey
For Kresha, music was never separate from everyday life.
“I come from a family of musicians where music is always happening, whether it’s somebody playing or singing, spontaneous music making at the dinner table,” she said.
When her older sisters began piano lessons, she was eager to follow.
“I begged and begged to take lessons,” Kresha recalled. “I finally got to start when I was 7, so I’ve been playing and studying for a very long time.”
That foundation in piano eventually led her to the pipe organ.
Stepping Back in Time
Kresha describes the transition from piano to organ as much more than learning a new instrument.
“The transition from going from piano to organ is like stepping back in time,” she said.
Studying the organ connects musicians to centuries of history, technology, architecture and acoustics.
“You’re learning about the politics, about the technology, all these historical techniques and evolution of playing,” she said. “It’s really like stepping into a vortex of all these elements you had no idea were there before you.”
Her first experience at an organ left a lasting impression.
“I was 18 and I got to sit at this giant organ,” she said. “You press one note down and then this enormous sound comes out and you’re barely doing anything. It’s just a shock.”
“You just have no idea how much power is at your fingertips.”
The Appeal of Complexity
For Kresha, one of the organ’s greatest attractions is its immense musical range.
“I think I like that I have an orchestra at my fingertips,” she said. “It’s like a symphony where there’s thousands of voices all working together.”
The instrument’s complexity is something she embraces.
“It’s so complicated, and there are all these layers weaving together,” she said.
Rather than seeking mastery, Kresha values the continual learning the instrument demands.
“There’s never a stopping point,” she said. “You’re always getting to learn new things.”
Inspiring Student Musicians
At UW-Superior, Kresha enjoys introducing students to an instrument that is often unfamiliar or misunderstood.
“It’s been really fun to see the initial surprise and the curiosity of the students,” she said.
Students learn improvisation and creative expression while exploring a repertoire that spans centuries.
“To see these new voices, these new ideas enter into this 800-year span of repertoire is so exciting to me,” she said.
One of her favorite moments as an educator is helping students rethink what the organ can be.
“What I love is when they come in with a pre-existing idea of what the organ is, we can kind of shatter that and expand and say, ‘Okay, if you think this is what the organ is, check this out.’”
For prospective students, Kresha emphasizes that the path is more accessible than many assume.
“If you took piano as a kid or if you were studying a little bit in school or even as an adult, you have the skills you need to tackle the organ,” she said.
Creating Beauty at the Cathedral
In addition to her role at UW-Superior, Kresha serves as music director at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Her work includes performing, selecting music and collaborating with choirs and cantors throughout the year.
“My weekly job is, ‘How do we create the most beautiful thing we possibly can?’” she said.
Whether through an organ prelude, hymn or chant, her goal remains the same.
“How do we make this so that everyone in this space experiences something profound and beautiful?”
The cathedral’s acoustics play a major role in that experience.
“The instrument and the room are always an extra complete element,” Kresha said. “To have a space that is so spacious and so resonant with acoustics, it really takes everything and makes it better.”
She added with a laugh, “Even a kazoo sounds amazing in here.”
A Highlight of the Year
One of Kresha’s favorite collaborations is UW-Superior’s annual Season of Song performance, which brings together faculty, students and community members in the cathedral’s unique setting.
“Season of Song is just an incredible opportunity for the department to come together and make beautiful music in this space,” she said.
Kresha especially enjoys performing the organ works selected by Michael Fuchs, UW-Superior director of choral activities, associate professor and chair of the Music Department.
“Dr. Mike Fuchs always picks some of the gems,” she said. “Then I get to play some of this incredible stuff with a giant choir, and it’s just so much fun.”
The concert also offers the chance to showcase a different side of her musicianship.
“I get to just really do some of the party music that maybe isn’t so appropriate for a religious service or a sacred service, but totally appropriate for Season of Song,” Kresha said. “So I really just get to kind of flex my party muscles for that one.”