Joseph Herl

Dr. Joseph Herl is Professor of Music at Concordia University, Nebraska, where he teaches music history, world music, theory, liturgy, hymnody, and church music. He also holds a concurrent appointment as Research Professor at the University of Illinois School of Music, directing the Hymn Tune Index. His academic leadership spans research, teaching, and editorial scholarship in Lutheran music traditions.

Herl earned a B.A. in music from Concordia College, Bronxville; an M.M. in organ performance from the University of North Texas; and a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he contributed to The Hymn Tune Index under Nicholas Temperley and conducted Fulbright-funded research in Germany.

His research focuses on the historical development of Lutheran worship, particularly the transition from choral to congregational music, the role of children in liturgy, Gregorian chant in early Lutheranism, and the roots of contemporary worship. He promotes church music that deeply instills Scripture in worshipers.

While no traditional journal articles are listed, his scholarly impact is evident in major publications such as Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism and the Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns, both grounded in extensive primary source research and shaping modern hymnological understanding.

• Roland Bainton Prize (2005)
• Outstanding Teacher of the Year, Concordia University (2018)
• Honorary Doctorate, Concordia Seminary (2022)

Dr. Herl mentors students in the Church Music program, preparing them for rostered ministry in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He has received significant recognition and grants, including a Fulbright research grant and ongoing support for the Hymn Tune Index. His work bridges academic scholarship and practical church music leadership.

He is actively involved in liturgical music as organist at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lincoln and as a composer whose works are published by leading houses including Concordia Publishing House, Oxford University Press, and MorningStar Music Publishers. His editorial leadership in the Companion to the Hymns involved reconstructing the historical provenance of every hymn element, setting a new standard in hymnal scholarship.