Monday 5/25 – St. Matthew’s – Alexander Straus-Fausto

A brilliant resume, blazing virtuosity, and a wealth of imagination from this young artist gets the 2026 L’Organo series off to a spectacular start, on the always popular Austin instrument in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church on Marion Square, a favorite Spoleto performing location.  His program includes several of his trademark orchestral transcriptions.

Tuesday 5/26 – First Scots – Matthew Wilkinson

Charleston’s own Matthew Wilkinson, now music director at historic St. Michael’s Church, makes his L’Organo debut on the newly restored instrument at First Scots, including music from his critically acclaimed CD, recorded in Germany on a Baroque organ by Trost.

Wednesday 5/27 – St. John the Baptist – Jacob Carl Taylor

Bringing French organ music by Dupre, De Grigny and Durufle (along with some Bach) to the rich sounds of Charleston’s most French-style organ, Dr. Taylor, now hailing from Alabama, holds degrees from Eastman, Indiana U, and Wheaton College

Thursday 5/28 – Mother Emanuel – Dr. Leo Davis 

Noted for his dazzling virtuosity, Dr. Davis is Senior Organist at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis; he will use the full resources of Mother Emanuel’s Zimmer organ in Gospel settings by Asriel Davis and Raymond Haan, as well as music of Bach and the great, recently rediscovered Organ Sonata of Florence Price.

Friday 5/29 – St. John’s Lutheran – Jack Cleghorn

Returning from Arkansas to delight his many Charleston admirers, the program of CofC graduate Jack Cleghorn includes the Tuba Tune of Norman Cocker and “The Squirrel” by Powell Weaver, along with music of Gawthrop, Bach and the First Sonata of Guilmant.

Saturday 5/30 – Bishop Gadsden – Dalaie Choi with Dr. In Young Lee Cranmer, soprano

The beautiful chapel at Bishop Gadsden, with its lovely acoustics and Schoenstein organ, is the setting for an afternoon of well-known and lesser-known works by Handel, Widor, Eva Dell’Acqua, and Ennio Morricone, performed by two distinguished Korean/American artists.

Sunday 5/31 – St. Clare – R. Monty Bennett

“The Dancing Shoes” begins Godwin Sadoh’s Franco-African Triptych, closing the largely French program presented by well-known Charlotte musician Monty Bennett; an added bonus will be the afternoon sun illuminating the glorious stained glass windows at St. Clare.

Monday 6/1 – First Scots – Jessie Zixi Deng

Virtuosic showpieces by Dupre and Guillou begin and end the concert presented by this Chinese-born Curtis graduate, on the newly restored organ at First Scots; her program also includes music of Calvin Hampton and a “Symphony in the Teapot” by Qi Zhang

Tuesday 6/2 – St. Michaels – Ilona Kubiaczyk-Adler

Born in Poland, trained and now resident in Arizona, Ilona brings the music of Eastern Europe and the Americas, including Müthel, Ratusińska, Bach, and Villa-Lobos, to the English-style instrument in St. Michael’s Church, so fitting for its English Baroque interior.

Wednesday 6/3 – St. Luke/St. Paul – Bolena Duo

The annual Ben Hutto Memorial concert, presented on the Gabriel Kney organ Ben was so proud to install in the 1970’s in the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul, this year features a unique mother/son combination, Virginia being a leading musician in Staunton, Virginia, and Jonathan, a recent graduate of Oberlin.

Thursday 6/4 – St. Matthews – Christoph Hintermüller

Native of Germany, now Director of Music at St. Ignatius in Austin, Texas, with a recital career including Berlin Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, his program concludes with the “American Rhapsody” of Pietro Yon, and includes music of Bach, Franz Lehrndorfer, and his own transcription of Howard Shore’s “Lord of the Rings.”

Friday 6/5 – Citadel – Sarah Palmer

Having spent last year as a regular recitalist on the huge instrument at Macy’s in Philadelphia, Curtis graduate Sarah Palmer will be right at home on the great Zimmer organ at the Citadel, bringing L’Organo 2026 to a rousing close with Anne Wilson’s Toccata, music of Bach, Whitlock and Durufle, and Ives’s “Variations on America”.