Dr. Michael Plagerman

Director of Sacred Music

Dr. Michael Plagerman was appointed Director of Sacred Music at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in 2022. His areas of musical expertise are mainly in the realm of liturgical music, choral direction, and organ playing, and he has served as a church music director for the last sixteen years. Over the course of his four years at Blessed Sacrament, Michael has overseen the fundraising and installation of the “Ruth and Paul Manz Organ” along with the replacement of that organ’s memory system and the addition of a Horizontal Trumpet. Additionally, he founded the Summer Music Intern position to support the development of future church musicians. In addition to regular commissions from the music program at Blessed Sacrament, Michael established the annual “Competition in Liturgical Composition at Blessed Sacrament” to foster the composition of music for liturgical use that both embraces and develops upon the rich history of the Church’s musical heritage.

In the spring of 2025, Michael led the all-professional Cantorei of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in the world premiere of Kile Smith’s Jesus Stood on the Shore, a 20-minute work for choir, soloists, and organ. In that same spring, Michael premiered Judith Bingham’s The Seven Last Words for solo organ in the context of Blessed Sacrament’s observance of Tre Ore. In 2027, under his direction, the Cantorei will be premiering a work for choir and orchestra by Tacoma based composer, Sheila Bristow, titled Paths of the Sea, in which Psalm texts are set in interaction with other, non-biblical poetry. Then, in the summer of 2027, the Cantorei will be recording their first album, to be released in 2028 under the Navona Label of Parma Records.

Michael previously worked as the graduate assistant conductor of the Cornell University Chorus and Chamber Choir and in the same capacity for the Women’s Liturgical Choir at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame, and as assistant director of the chapel choir at Pacific Lutheran University. Michael studied choral direction and vocal pedagogy with Richard Nance, Brian Galante, Stephen Spinelli, Deborah Mayer, and Stephen Lancaster.

Michael has performed widely as an organist throughout the country at venues including the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame, St. Jame’s and St. Mark’s Cathedrals, Seattle, St. Luke Lutheran in Ithaca and many others. In 2023-24 he was the Visiting Lecturer in Organ and Acting University Organist at Pacific Lutheran University, where he succeeded his own undergraduate organ professor, Paul Tegels. Michael holds degrees (B.Mus, M.S.M, M.F.A, D.MA.) in organ from Pacific Lutheran University (summa cum laude), the University of Notre Dame, and Cornell University and has studied with Craig Cramer, Douglas Reid, Nathan Laube, Annette Richards, and Christophe Mantoux, in addition to Paul Tegels. Michael is the recipient of the Craig Cramer Prize in Organ Performance from Notre Dame and the James D. Holloway Prize, which is PLU’s highest prize in the music department across all media. Additionally, Michael holds the Choirmaster Certificate from the American Guild of Organists.

When not making music, Michael enjoys recreating at his family’s central Washington farm and otherwise enjoying life with his lovely wife, Erin.