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Kimberly A. Hess, an organist at Arlington National Cemetery, has a distinguished career performing for various dignitaries and military veterans. She has played the organ at numerous funerals, including those of U.S. presidents and Supreme Court justices. Her experience includes performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington alongside Roberta Flack and playing on the largest pipe organ in the world.
Hess, who is also a faculty member at Marymount University in Arlington, reflected on her role as Memorial Day approaches. As an assistant organist at Arlington National Cemetery, she has performed at 1,000 funerals over the past five years and will continue in this capacity with her contract renewed for another five years.
“It’s a very valuable service. Music can deepen our spiritual connections during worship services and allows us to work through emotions such as grief during funerals,” Hess shared with The Arlington Catholic Herald.
Hess finds emotional resonance in her work, even when she does not personally know those for whom she plays. She has been part of funerals ranging from infants to centenarians and acknowledges the impact of hearing family eulogies.
“The stories are really interesting, especially the Greatest Generation,” she noted. “The eulogies from the families are amazing to hear how these people lived through the Roaring ’20s, through the Depression and served in the military during World War II.”
A particularly moving service was for U.S. Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, killed in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021. Hess described it as one of the saddest funerals she had ever played.
In addition to her work at Arlington National Cemetery, Hess supports several churches within the Arlington diocese and beyond. She expresses a preference for performing at Old Post Chapel due to its acoustics and traditional design.
Her musical expertise extends beyond public performances; she owns a Visser-Rowland organ and practices extensively for recitals while maintaining proficiency across various church settings.
Hess holds multiple degrees in sacred music and organ performance but also values her academic contributions at Marymount University where she coordinates liturgical music events and teaches courses that enrich students' musical education.
Reflecting on her role at Arlington National Cemetery, Hess stated: “It’s such an honor to be an organist at Arlington... It’s an honor to help the military’s mission of honoring veterans through music.”
This story was initially published by The Arlington Catholic Herald under managing editor Ann Augherton's guidance.
