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2014
Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra celebrated the Art of the Pipe Organ with four weeks of concerts. Showcasing our Op. 76, the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Pipe Organ, this series featured some of the most major works for organ, orchestra and chorus: Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass, Wagner’s Also sprach Zarathustra, and Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”. In addition, the Kimmel Center presented a Halloween Organ Extravaganza, where three of America’s most celebrated organists, Peter Richard Conte, Ken Cowan, and Paul Jacobs, joined forces to present a program of popular works including transcriptions of A Night on Bald Mountain, Funeral March of a Marionette, Danse macabre, and other favorites.
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July 2014
We’re pleased to have Ben Hoskins join our staff. A 2014 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Ben previously had a career in banking but returned to UNI for a degree in organ performance. While attending UNI, he served as Director of Music and Organist for Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waterloo, Iowa. In our shop, Ben will be involved in tuning, voicing, and general organ building.
Commissioned in celebration of Merton College’s 750th anniversary, our Op. 91 takes its place in Merton’s historic Chapel, whose construction began in the late 13th century and was completed around 1450. The oldest of the thirty-eight Oxford colleges, Merton has a vibrant chapel music program under the leadership of Benjamin Nicholas, the Reed Rubin Organist and Director of Music, and Peter Phillips, the Reed Rubin Director of Music. The Rev Dr Simon Jones is the Chaplain, and Paul Hale served the College as organ consultant.
Installation of the organ began at the end of June 2013. Voicing began in early August, and the organ was completed in November.
Merton has offered a series of dedication recitals throughout 2014. John Scott of Saint Thomas Church in New York City presented the opening concert on Saturday, 26 April 2014. Details of other programs can be found on our Recitals page and in the College’s brochure.
The organ was featured on the cover of the November 2013 issue of The American Organist magazine. The Omaha World-Herald published an interesting article about Op. 91 on 14 April. You might also be interested to see photos of the organ under construction.
The first worldwide hearing of the organ took place on 20 November 2013, with a live radio broadcast of an Evensong celebrating the lives of Saint Cecelia and Benjamin Britten. The archived service can be found on the BBC 3 website.
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February 2014
Our Op. 62, built in 1995 for the residence of Dr. Richard Wanner of Berkeley, California, was purchased by St. Patrick’s Church in Farmington, Connecticut. In addition to moving the organ, we constructed a raised platform for the organ and movable risers for the choir.
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