Music Staff

Cathedral Music Director Jared Ostermann earned his doctorate at the University of Kansas, where he studied organ with James Higdon, Church Music with Michael Bauer, and conducting with Paul Tucker. He received his Master of Sacred Music degree in 2009 from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied with Craig Cramer. His Bachelor of Music in Church Music is from the University of Kansas (2007), where he studied organ, harpsichord, and choral conducting with Michael Bauer. As an organ scholar with the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center music program at the University of Kansas, he studied improvisation and liturgical playing with Wolfgang Reisinger. He also studied for one year with Peter Planyavsky at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria. He has played in master classes for such renowned organists as Peter Van Dyke, Harald Vogel, Olivier Latry, Martin Jean, Lynne Davis, Karel Paukert, Paul Tegels and Marie Claire Alain.

As a concert organist, Jared has been awarded prizes at a number of prestigious competitions, including the Miami International Organ Competition, the John R. Rodland Scholarship Competition, the San Marino Organ Competition, and the Augustana/Reuter National Undergraduate Competition. In 2011 he was one of 16 finalists selected from around the world to compete at the Canadian International Organ Competition in Montreal, Quebec. At this competition he advanced to the final round and was awarded the Royal Canadian College of Organists prize for the best performance of a work by a Canadian composer. Earlier in 2011, he advanced to the semifinal round of the Dublin International Organ Competition. As a result of his prizes in Miami and Montreal, his playing has been featured on the nationally syndicated radio program Pipedreams.

Jared began work as a church musician at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas, from 2005 – 2007 as Chapel Organist. During his year of study in Vienna, Jared was the organist and music director for Vienna’s English Speaking Catholic Community. During his time at Notre Dame, Jared worked with Alexander Blachly as the graduate conducting assistant with the Notre Dame Chorale. During his doctoral studies Jared served as Director of Music at St. Ann Church in Prairie Village, KS. In 2010 he founded Sursum Corda, a Kansas City-area choir specializing in Renaissance Polyphony. Under his guidance, this choir became an active presence in northeast Kansas, bringing liturgical music and sacred concerts to parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Kansas City. In August of 2012 Jared began work as the Director of Liturgical Music at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In addition to his work at the Cathedral, he is the Organ Instructor at the University of South Dakota. 

Jared and his wife Barbara have three children, Sophia, Dominic and Lillian.

Nicole Gerdes earned her Master of Sacred Music degree at the University of Notre Dame in 2024. She studied organ, creative hymn playing, and improvisation with Kola Owolabi. Nicole continued her study of voice with Eleni Taluzek, and conducting with Cynthia Katsarelis, Jonathan Hehn, and Emmanuel de Leon Jr at Notre Dame. Nicole completed her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance degree in 2022 at the University of South Dakota under the instruction of Susan Keith Gray. During her time at USD, Nicole studied organ with Jared Ostermann, violin with Ioana Galu, and was a member of the USD Chamber Orchestra and USD Chamber Singers. Nicole has also studied piano with Julie Melik-Stepanov, violin with Maria Peters and Louisa Biteler, and voice with Natalie Campbell and Cheryl Koch. Throughout her education, Nicole has performed in master classes on organ for Kimberly Marshall and Collin Andrews, on piano for Jay Hershberger, Mack McClure, Cristina Capparelli Gerling, Marina Lomazov, and Alfred Mouledous, and violin for Penny Thompson Kruse and Simone Maurer.

Nicole has been actively performing throughout her education as a recitalist and participating in competitions. In 2019, she was selected as winner of the University of South Dakota Concerto Competition and performed on piano with the USD Symphony Orchestra in 2021. Nicole competed in piano competitions through MTNA, SDMTA, and the Genevieve Truran Piano Competition earning first and second prizes from 2014-2020.

A Sioux Falls area native, Nicole began her work in liturgical music at St. Michael Catholic Church as a vocalist, pianist, and violinist. In 2014, she joined the Cathedral of St. Joseph sacred music program as a member in the Cathedral Choir. Nicole has continued as a vocalist, violinist, and organist for the Cathedral. During her time at Notre Dame, Nicole worked as a graduate assistant and organist for the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir. She also served as music coordinator for the Congregation of Holy Cross community. From 2014-2020, Nicole acted as a Teaching Artist at Harmony South Dakota teaching violin as well as teaching private violin, piano, and vocal lessons. Starting in July 2024, Nicole is the Assistant Music Director at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Sioux Falls, SD.