A Franciscan friar and priest, Robert Hutmacher, O.F.M. is founder and director of Chiesa Nuova, a Franciscan ministry for the performing arts in Chicago. He is also director of worship at St. Peter’s Church in the Loop.

Fr. Hutmacher’s music education is extensive and ongoing. He studied piano with Daniel Truman Fletcher at Memphis State University, and composition with David Clarke Isele at the University of Notre Dame. Six years of harp study was with John Manno of Chicago, and further piano study was with Vladimir Leyetchkiss of Chicago.

He scored the music for the play, “Clare of Assisi,” and performed it throughout the U.S. and Canada, then recorded it for video release. Fr. Hutmacher scored the music for a play written about Francis of Assisi, The Dragon and the Moon, by Joseph Wood, O.F.M., Conv. of Assisi, Italy. In 1998, he published “Il Cantico delle Creature” with Padre Marino Bigaroni, O.F.M. in Assisi, Italy. He scored the music for the musical, “Songs of Mother Earth,” with book by Phil Granchi, which premiered in Chicago in 1997

Fr. Hutmacher has been commissioned to compose large works for St. Peter’s in the Loop, Sacred Heart Church of St. Paul, MN, the Archdiocese of Chicago, Cantori d’Assisi of Assisi, Italy, the Poor Clares and the Franciscan Order worldwide, I Solisti di Perugia Chamber Orchestra of Perugia, Italy. He continues to write and perform on keyboards and harp and give workshops throughout the Midwest, Canada, Italy and Germany