Dr. (Mr.) Lynn Trapp holds a distinguished career as concert organist, pianist, conductor, composer and liturgist. He is highly respected for his many concert appearances, publications, awards, and clinician work.

As concert organist he is an active recitalist and has performed for churches, cathedrals, colleges and universities in many major cities of the U.S and Europe including regional and national conventions of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and the American Guild of Organists.  His many organ performance venues include Washington National Cathedral and National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City, Notre Dame Cathedral and St.-Germain des Pres in Paris, France, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul Cathedral in London. He has performed as soloist with Minnesota Sinfonia and Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in Minneapolis. 

He is heard on three CD recordings of the Liturgical Organist Consortium released by WLP,  The Sacred Legacy of Paris (winning the national Golden Ear Award presented by Audio Sound, America’s premiere audiophile publication) Divinum Mysterium, and Chant Mosaic.  His performances have been heard on the nationally-known radio program, Pipedreams.  In 2006 he released the premiere recording of the Lively-Fulcher pipe organ Recital in the City at St. Olaf Catholic Church in downtown Minneapolis.  In 2018 he recorded Organ Music for Four Hands and Feet…Fifth Avenue Flourishes with organist Jennifer Pascual at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC.

He produced Christmas on Grand in St. Paul, MN, a cd recording of masterful piano improvisations.

Trapp has conducted choirs featured at conventions of AGO, ACDA, and NPM.  He has directed numerous choral pilgrimages, performances and familiarization tours for directors in Italy (including Papal Mass at the Vatican) Holy Land, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, England, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey and Greece under the auspices of Peter’s Way Tours, New York.  In 2007, he premiered as conductor at Carnegie Hall, NYC, conducting the New England Symphonic Ensemble and chorus performance of Te Deum by Otto Olsson.

A lengthy list of career engagements includes serving as co-conductor and organist of the choir for the internationally televised Papal Mass of World Youth Day with Pope John Paul II in Denver, CO.; serving as composer in residence at the New York City Liturgical School of Music and St. Louis Cathedral, St. Louis, MO; Artistic Director of Cracovia Cantat, an international choral festival in Krakow, Poland.

For several years he directed music for the national liturgy conference at the University of Notre Dame.  He was founder of annual church music conferences in Lawrence, KS and Cheyenne, WY, and for seven years served as co-director of the Conference on Music, Liturgy and the Arts at St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN.  He has served as instructor at North Central University in Minneapolis, and organ faculty for Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN in conjunction with St. Olaf College. 

His keyboard and choral music is published by Oxford Univ. Press, World Library Publications, GIA Publications, Morning Star Music Publishers, Concordia, Selah Publishing Co., Oregon Catholic Press and Sacred Music Press. He has co-authored the book In Harmony With God; Choral Preparation and Prayer published by Liturgical Press. 

As a student he was the recipient of many academic awards including the National Presser Scholarship and the outstanding student award of Pi Kappa Lambda honor society by unanimous vote of the faculty.   He won first place in the national organ playing competition of Ottumwa, Iowa and several other midwest competitions.  He is the recipient of the Spirit and Truth Award from the Center for Pastoral Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame recognizing his outstanding work in music and liturgy.  He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from two of his alma maters:  Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and Perryville High School.

He received the BMus degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he studied organ with Marianne Webb, then spent a semester of private study with Catharine Crozier in CA.  Awarded a full scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, he studied organ with Craig Cramer and earned the MMus/Liturgy degree, then began doctoral work in organ at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY with the late Russell Saunders.  Lynn completed the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Kansas where he studied organ with James Higdon and Michael Bauer.  He presented his doctoral project, The Legacy of André Marchal in recital and lecture at St.-Germain des Pres in Paris, France.

Lynn is principal Artistic Director for the Marianne Webb and David Bateman Distinguished Organ Recital Series endowed in perpetuity at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he hosts the biennial recital in Shryock Auditorium.

From 1996-2015 Dr. Trapp served as Director of Worship & Music, Organist/Pianist at St. Olaf Catholic Church in downtown Minneapolis where he directed a landmark worship and music department with choral & liturgical ministry, concert series, and radio and television ministry.  In 2001 he directed the installation of the new 67 rank Lively-Fulcher pipe organ at St. Olaf Church.  

In 2015 he became the Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Joseph Church in Baltimore.

He has served the Council and Board of Directors of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.   He served as co-chair of the NPM national convention in Baltimore, 2018.

In 2011 his archives were established in perpetuity at the Hesburgh Library, University of Notre Dame.  His publications are also housed at the Church Music Institute in Dallas. 

Lynn Trapp is a native of Missouri, and is married to Karen Rene Trapp.  They reside in Baltimore and are parish members at St. Joseph Catholic Church.