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Organ Day at the @KimmelCenter is back! FREE organ programming including silent film, @operaphila, organ pumps and MORE! 6/10
Press Contact:
Amanda Conte
215-790-5847
aconte@kimmelcenter.org
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS 7TH ANNUAL ORGAN DAY, FREE DAY OF ORGAN PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES IN KIMMEL CENTER’S VERIZON HALL, SATURDAY, JUNE 10 FROM 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Premiere Performance of Works from New Fred J. Cooper Organ Book
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, April 26, 2017) –– The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, in association with the Philadelphia Chapter of The American Guild of Organists (AGO), is proud to present the 7th Annual Organ Day, a six-hour marathon of FREE organ music performed on The Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Day taking place on Saturday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Audiences of all ages are invited to explore “Fred,” the largest mechanical pipe organ in a concert venue in the United States, through a diverse line-up of programming tailored to include something for everyone. Audience members are invited to attend for any and all portions of the day.
“This year marks the 11th anniversary of our beloved organ and we are excited to show off what a remarkable and majestic instrument it truly is,” said Anne Ewers, President & CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “This special day appeals to all ages by attracting some of the country’s top performers thanks to our collaboration with the Philadelphia’s Chapter of The American Guild of Organists.”
This year’s Organ Day will include a special celebration as the premiere performance of the Fred J. Cooper Organ Book. Commissioned by the Philadelphia Chapter of the AGO, the Fred J. Cooper Organ Book celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ in Verizon Hall. With the backing of the Philadelphia AGO Chapter’s Endowment Fund, whose mission, in part, is to commission new organ music, the chapter’s Executive Committee initiated the project under the guidance of Chapter Dean David Furniss. Five notable Philadelphia area composers were selected to each contribute an accessible brief solo organ work.
The Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Day showcases the instrument in its full range of glory, beginning at 11:00 a.m. with a short introductory organ piece before the family program PNC Grow Up Great performance of Broadway-inspired music, following which children will be invited on stage to explore the organ. At 12:15 p.m. there will be a recital performed by organist Robert McCormick, Organist & Choirmaster of Saint Mark’s Church, followed by recitals of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). Closing out the first session’s programming is a performance presented by Opera Philadelphia.
After the break, will be there premiere performance of new works from the Fred J. Cooper Organ Book, and a performance combining brass and organ. At 3:30 p.m., the winner of the Philadelphia AGO competition will be announced, followed by an additional improvisation performance by Robert McCormick and an excerpt from a silent film with live organ music. The day concludes with the Kimmel Center’s famed Organ Pumps during which audience members can lie on the stage of Verizon Hall and feel the powerful vibrations of the organ.
Unveiled in May 2006, The Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ, Dobson organ Op. 76, ranks as the largest mechanical-action concert hall organ in the United States with 6,938 pipes, four blowers, 300 levels of memory, 111 stops, and a total weight of app. 32 tons. The largest pipes are made of wood and are about 32 feet tall, while the smallest metal pipes are similar in size to a slender drinking straw. It is the culmination of more than six years and 52,000 man-hours of planning, construction, and voicing (the process of producing specific tones by manipulating the speech of organ pipes).
7th Annual Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Day
Saturday, June 10, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Verizon Hall
11:00 AM – Welcome and Introduction
Short introductory piece played by Robert McCormick
11:15 AM – PNC Grow Up Great: Broadway-inspired music
12:15 PM – Organ Recital by Robert McCormick
12:45 PM - Performance by Members of the American Guild of Organists
1:15 PM - Performance by Opera Philadelphia
2:15 PM – Premiere Performance of Fred J. Cooper Organ Book
Fanfare on "Gelobt sei Gott" (Matthew Glandorf), Parker Kitterman, organist
Reflection for Organ (Kile Smith), David Furniss, organist
Kokopelli: Trickster God (David Schelat), Clara Gerdes, organist
Organum (Kathleen Scheide), Edward Landin, organist
Philadelphia Finale (Jeffrey Brillhart), Daryl Robinson, organist
3:00 PM – Philadelphia Brass and Organ
3:30 PM – Philadelphia American Guild of Organists competition winner
4:00 PM – Improvisation by Robert McCormick
4:15 PM – Silent Film with Live Organ Music
4:45 PM – Organ Pumps
Organ programming is generously supported by the Wyncote Foundation
Tickets
This is a free, non-ticketed event. Patrons are invited to come at any time during the event.
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Kimmel Center’s mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience through diverse programming, arts education, and community outreach. The Kimmel Center Campus is comprised of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, SEI Innovation Studio, and the Merck Arts Education Center), the Academy of Music (owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association), and the Merriam Theater. The Kimmel Center is also home to eight Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is the season sponsor of the Kimmel Center’s 2016-2017 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.
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