2025 Free Concert Series
Whether you’ve just found out about us, or you’re planning to return (perhaps for the nth time!), let me tell you what I’m excited about for L’Organo 2025!
First, for the newbies: What is L’Organo? It’s a series of FREE organ recitals presented as an integral part of the world-famous Piccolo Spoleto Festival every year in Charleston, SC, and organized by the City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs, showcasing the wide variety of organs in the city.
This year, there are twelve daily recitals, starting on Monday, May 26th (Memorial Day) and finishing on Friday, June 6th. The weekday recitals, in the downtown churches (or as Charlestonians say, “on the Peninsula”) are at 10 am, so audience members can get over to the ever-popular Chamber Music concerts at the Dock Street Theatre at 11 am; while the two weekend programs, on Daniel Island and in West Ashley, are presented at 3 pm.
Charleston Church Organs
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
The organs themselves are always a big part of the attraction. I’m particularly looking forward to savoring the contrast between the brilliantly French-style instrument in the (both visually and acoustically) beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Broad Street, and the English 18th and 19th century style instrument in the historic Christopher Wren-style St. Michael’s Church, just a short walk down the street at the Four Corners; the organ case here, built in London, has been in situ since 1764. Both of these instruments will be heard in two programs.
There will also be two concerts on the large American classic Austin instrument at St. Matthew’s Lutheran church, by Marion Square, scene of the Spoleto Festival choral concerts, with its outstanding acoustics.
St. Michael’s Organ
And an especially poignant venue is the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul, on Coming St. just across Calhoun St., where the lovely two-manual Gabriel Kney tracker organ was installed in 1976 at the behest of Ben Hutto, one of the progenitors of the L’Organo series; an annual concert there is presented in his memory. (His colleague Bill Gudger, the other founder, still attends the recitals as he is able; we are always glad to see him.)
Also within walking distance of all the other downtown venues is the lovely St. John’s Lutheran on Archdale St, with its elegant Charleston trademark wrought iron gates; the organ case here, only fifty years younger than the Snetzler case at St. Michael’s, is also a feast for the eye.
One venue where we are particularly pleased to be welcomed back for the third year in a row is historic Mother Emanuel AME on Calhoun Street, called “Mother” in recognition of its role as one of the oldest Black congregations in Charleston. Here, our host Dr Wayne Singleton presides over a fine rebuild by the Zimmer company, combining vintage pipes from the old organ on the Great with digital voices on the Swell and “Gospel” (!) divisions.
Also by the Zimmer company (not altogether within walking distance, but just a short drive, with very adequate parking) is Charleston’s largest instrument, in the Summerall Chapel at the Citadel.
On the weekend we are offering the opportunity to drive out and enjoy Charleston’s suburbs, with the Saturday program at Holy Spirit Lutheran in West Ashley, and Sunday finding us in the new and lovely St. Clare of Assisi on Daniel Island, with its warm acoustic and glorious early 1900’s stained glass, rescued from a church in Pittsburgh.
Organists for the Piccolo Spoleto Concert Series
Eugene Lavery
And of course, bringing all these fine instruments and spaces to life, we have a superstar cast of younger and more mature players, from throughout the US and overseas. Our furthest artist is Eugene Lavery, originally from the other side of the world in New Zealand, but to be honest, he has also trained at Juilliard and now lives in Texas. His program kicks off the series in fine style, with several virtuoso blockbusters, making the most of the St. Michael’s instrument’s very English sonorities.
Brenna Szafron
Much closer to home, we have two players from the Carolinas. Although Brennan Safron originally hails from Canada, he now holds forth at Tryon, NC, and teaches at Converse College in Spartanburg. In his Canadian/American program at St. Matthews, I’m particularly interested to find out what “The Reverend Mustard - His Installation Prelude” by the brilliant young opera composer Nico Muhly sounds like!
And Pamela Kane from Hilton Head promises some settings of Gullah songs, arranged by her friend Marianne Kim; this music will seem particularly appropriate performed in Mother Emanuel church, with its close ties to the Black community.
Another Juilliard graduate, Aaron Patterson, gives us an interesting program at St. John’s Lutheran; in addition to the always-welcome works of Bach and Buxtehude, he includes a Toccata by revered (and much-missed) organ teacher at both Juilliard and Curtis, John Weaver, as well as music by another New Yorker, the always irrepressible Dorothy Papadokus.
As a sometime Bostonian, I’m very glad to welcome my erstwhile, highly esteemed colleague Rosalind Mohnsen to the roster. She brings a typically imaginative and wide-ranging variety of repertoire; I’m particularly looking forward to the music of New England stalwarts Henry Dunham and H. Alexander Matthews. The music of Zsolt Gardonyi and Morton Gould is also well off the beaten track.
Both Thomas Russell from Columbia (product of Yale) and Eddie Zheng from NYC – another Juilliard product! – are holding forth on the Bedient instrument at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, with its ventils, etc, and its refulgent acoustic. Both are wisely showcasing mainly French repertoire, with Thomas giving us Pierné, Franck, Dubois, and Albert Renaud (someone new to me), while Eddie will doubtless win many friends by giving us all the complete 5th Symphony of Widor, finishing with the ever-popular Toccata.
Returning to L’Organo for the third time, Sarah Carlson hails now from Bemidji in Northern Minnesota – she will certainly experience a change in climate in returning to the Holy City! She presents American composers Robert Elmore and Firmin Swinnen – the latter known for his accompaniments to silent movies in the 1920s! Also sure to give pleasure are the “Humoresque” of Pietro Yon (erstwhile maestro at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC) and the Bossa Nova (Jazz Prelude II) of contemporary German composer Johannes Michel.
We are also pleased to present recent graduates Laura Smith from Baylor and David Kraft from Eastman. David’s program at St. Michael’s will make full use of the instrument’s English sonorities in his opening selection, from the Eighth Organ Sonata of 19th-century German Josef Rheinberger, whose many organ compositions were particularly popular in England in the early 20th century, thanks to being promoted by Harvey Grace, one-time president of the Royal College of Organists.
Laura Smith
Laura Smith then brings us right up to date (channeling her inner Anna Lapwood) with a medley from Star Wars; unfortunately, we can’t supply the appropriate light show… But what we can supply, for this as for many of the other programs, is a big-screen relay so that the audience can see the organist at work, particularly including their pedal dexterity. This is now increasingly done, and has certainly done much to increase the popularity of organ recitals, as well as an appreciation of the multiplicity of skills required for organ performance.
No light show will be necessary for Chase Olson’s recital at the Citadel, since the console is out where all can see it. After his own Trumpet Fanfare, Chase launches into Bach’s virtuosic, even whimsical D major Prelude and Fugue, with its notorious opening pedal scale, as well as the concluding pedal cadenza; music by Black Edwardian Englishman Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Franck’s monumental first Chorale, and a new work by his teacher Angela Kraft-Cross are also on the docket.
And Michael Heidenreich of Michigan then brings our series to a colorful close with the idiosyncratic French virtuoso Jean Guillou’s transcription of the monumental suite “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Russian master Modest Mussorgsky, for which the grand American classic instrument at St. Matthew’s Lutheran will be the perfect vehicle; he opens with a grand Fantasia on the “Battle Hymn of the Reformation” by that 17th century master of polychoral musical complexity, Michael Praetorius.
So, if all this appeals or intrigues you, do plan to join us this May/June, for the first time or for another of many times! And of course, all the other musical activities in connection with Piccolo Spoleto and Spoleto Festival USA will be on offer. We look forward greatly to welcoming you to our musical smorgasbord! Please take this opportunity to add our FREE Organ Concerts to your Cultural Events Schedule.
