Evangeline Lois Rimbach, PhD, of Tacoma, Washington, devoted her career to music. Among her numerous achievements, the retired, celebrated expert is proudest of unearthing and celebrating the works of Johann Kuhnau, a historical figure said to have been overshadowed by Bach for a period. Dr. Rimbach’s dedication has resurrected Kuhnau’s contributions in linguistics, theology, and music, restoring his prominence after centuries of relative obscurity. Her research, particularly her doctoral dissertation on Kuhnau’s church cantatas, has inspired musicologists worldwide and led to the publication and recording of his complete vocal works.
Dr. Rimbach’s accomplishments have earned her prestigious awards, including the Rose of Constancy from Sigma Alpha Iota in 2021, the Faithful Servant Award from the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians in 2011, and multiple accolades from Sigma Alpha Iota throughout her career. Her dedication to music education and research also was recognized by the American Association of University Women and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Munich. She has been featured in Marquis Who’s Who, receiving the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and being named a Marquis Who’s Who Top Professional. Further, Dr. Rimbach holds memberships in the American Musicological Society, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and Sigma Alpha Iota.
Dr. Rimbach’s career in academia and music education spanned decades. She retired in 1997 after serving as the chairman of the music department at Concordia University Chicago, where she was a professor of music from 1964 to 1997. Before that, she taught music at California Concordia College and vocal music at Goodwin Junior High School. Her influence extended beyond the classroom through her involvement in the senior choir at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Illinois, and her roles on the board of directors and various committees of the Civic Symphony of Oak Park-River Forest. Dr. Rimbach’s scholarly contributions are extensive. She edited numerous works by Kuhnau, including “Christ lag in Todesbanden,” “Bereft O God,” and “Missa in F.” Moreover, she contributed to professional journals and newspapers, and her works were recognized in the Grove’s Dictionary of Music. Her master’s thesis focused on Gospel Motets of the 17th century.
Dr. Rimbach possessed an innate passion for music, which was nurtured from a young age by her father, a Lutheran pastor with a rich, bass voice, and her mother, an organist and choir director. Dr. Rimbach began piano lessons as a first grader, and despite her siblings’ musical pursuits, she was the only one to pursue a professional career in music. Her legacy and prowess extend beyond her academic and editorial achievements. She endowed the Rimbach Scholarship for Students from Myanmar, enabling students to pursue graduate degrees at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong. Her advice to aspiring professionals is to persevere and remain dedicated to their talents despite challenges, reflecting her own journey of pure devotion to music.