Fr. Eugen Willkomm was born as Christoph Willkomm to the couple Veit and Anna Maria Willkomm, born Mueller, in Koenigshofen/Grabfeld on June 19th, 1676. His father hails from Leinach and was corporal in the prince-bishopric garrison of Koenigshofen. Christoph Willkomm possibly attended classes at the school of the Cistercian monastery of  Bildhausen, before he joined this monastery and took over the monastic name Eugen. On September 18th, 1700 he was ordained to the subdiaconate, on September 24th, 1701 to the Diaconate and on June 2nd, 1703 to the priesthood. 

Fr. Eugen tried to beg favours of different abbots. Thus, he offered a figural mass to the Abbot Kilian Frank of Theres in 1713, an offertory to the Abbot Kilian Duering of Banz in 1715 and a Joseph-Mass to the Abbot Joseph Hartmann of Bronnbach in 1716. He also visited the Cistercian monastery of Bronnbach in the year 1718. Fr. Eugen had no music duties within the convent of Bildhausen. These tasks have been fulfilled by other confrères. The Golden jubilee of the ordination to the priesthood of Fr. Onuphrius Schambach  was celebrated in nearby Muennerstadt on June 11th,  1719. On this occasion the local prior and parish priest made a magnificent feast Fr. Eugen Willkomm was also invited to. In the short time span from 1727 to 1729 he was curate in Strahlungen. Fr. Eugen Willkomm died on June 5th, 1744 in the Cistercian monastery of Bildhausen.

Two collections of works by Willkomm have been published in the publishing house Lotter in Augsburg. Both his collections of Arias with the title "Philomela Sacra" (= "Sacred Nightingale") from the years 1730 [RISM W 1217] and 1731 [RISM W 1218] have been probably written for own use in the monsatery of Bildhausen, before they were published. These Arias seem to be rather popular, since there was a second edition of Opus 2 already in the year 1732. It is a debatable point why Willkomm has not published further works until his death especially regarding the great success of his compositions. Besides his printed works there are a few manuscripts  that can be attributed to Fr. Eugen..

Catalogue of Works:
48 Arias
manuscript:
6 Salve Regina,  maybe 2 Arias
missing:
2 Masses, 1 Offertory

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