Performance and Practice Organs

The Eastman School of Music houses a fine collection of performance and practice organs.  Schmitt Organ Recital Hall features a Van Daalen organ renovated by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, and the magnificent 1922 E.M. Skinner organ in Kilbourn Hall is currently awaiting restoration. 

The organ department also owns a pedal clavichord built by the GOArt Organ Research Center, a pedal piano, and a fine Mustel harmonium.  In addition, through the work of the Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative (EROI) project and with the collaboration of several churches in the area, students are able to practice and perform on many fine instruments in and around the City of Rochester.

 

Van Daalen Organ Schmitt Hall	1922 E.M. Skinner Organ Kilbourn Hall	Italian Baroque Organ Memorial Art Gallery

 

Craighead-Saunders Organ Christ Church	A Practice Organ

Halloran-All Saints Organ
Sacred Heart Cathedral

Practice Organs

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.

Organ Stoplists

Below are organ stoplists for our practice and performance instruments.  The stoplists are in pdf file format (Adobe Acrobat required). To install the FREE Acrobat software, please click here and follow the instructions.

• Craighead-Saunders Organ, Christ Church (Episcopal)
• Van Daalen 1979, rebuilt by Dobson in 2000
  Schmitt Organ Recital Hall, Eastman School of Music
• Italian Baroque Organ, c. 1770 [brief listing]
  Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester
• E.M. Skinner, Opus 325, 1922 (under restoration)
  Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music
• Aeolian-Skinner, Opus 953, 1937 (restoration planned)
  Strong Auditorium, University of Rochester
• Brombaugh, Opus 9
  St. Michael's Church
  Austin Organ Company, Opus 2215, 1956
  Asbury United Methodist Church
• Hook and Hastings, Opus 1697, 1898
  St. Mary's Church (Catholic)
• C.B. Fisk, Opus 83, 1983
  Downtown United Presbyterian Church
• Samuel Bohler, 1869
  Holtkamp Organ Company, 1962
  Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word

Thanks to Jon Ortloff, Rob Kerner, William Porter, Nicole Marane, and Lee Wright