Organ Department of the Eastman School of Music
The tradition of organ study at the Eastman School of Music has been extraordinary since the founding of the School. Studies in organ literature and performance practice, organ maintenance and design, organ pedagogy, conducting, keyboard skills, jazz improvisation, organ improvisation, and liturgical music, in addition to a weekly Department Colloquium featuring guest lecturers and discussions, give Eastman students the skills to become leaders in the profession. To apply and audition, visit the Admissions Office. A stoplist of the organ used for auditions is available here. To learn more about us, please click on a topic at the top of the page. Visit our events page for information about concerts and recitals.
Third Sunday Concerts
The Memorial Art Gallery and the Eastman School of Music Department of Organ and Historical Keyboards present Third Sunday Concerts with the Italian Baroque Organ at the Memorial Art Gallery.
The special concerts will be held on third Sunday of each month from October through May at 5:30 pm.
Tickets are $10 tickets ($5 for students with ID). Available at the door, or in advance at the Memorial Art Gallery.
The fall program consists of:
October 21
Organ and Body
Stephen Kennedy, organ; dancers led by Vanessa van Wormer, dancer and choreographer
NOVEMBER 18
Strings and Pipes Together: Harpsichord and Organ in Tuneful Harmony
William Porter and Edoardo Bellotti, organ and harpsichord
DECEMBER 16
Festive Holiday Concert
Michael Unger with faculty and students of the Eastman School of Music
News
Newsletter - The many accomplishments of our students, information about EROI 2009 and EROI 2010, and articles on other topics appear in the Autumn 2010 edition of our newsletter, Resonance.
Instruments
From early morning until late at night, Eastman organ students spend hours in the practice rooms cultivating their art. At their disposal is the Eastman School’s collection of 14 practice organs, featuring instruments built by companies including Fritts, Skinner, Holtkamp, Andover, Wahl, Flentrop, Moller, and Schlicker. In 1923, the “organ wing” at Eastman housed the largest organ practice facility in the world. After decades of use, many of the instruments now require significant renovation or replacement. The Eastman School is planning to enhance its collection of practice organs by refurbishing the large organs and replacing some of the smaller organs with new instruments built in a variety of styles. The ultimate goal of this renovation and replacement project is to enrich the educational experience of Eastman students by offering them access to a collection of high quality instruments of diverse musical traditions.
