Organ festival anniversary to include special events: Eccles Organ Festival Recitals/Events

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SALT LAKE CITY — The Eccles Organ Festival will kick off its 30th season at the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Sept. 10.

“It’s a milestone,” festival organizer and cathedral organist Gabriele Terrone said of the 30th anniversary. “So, while we maintain the structure of the festival, we expanded with a couple of special events and then the extraordinary quality of the performers that we have engaged for the season.”

The Sept. 10 recital will feature a performance by S. Andrew Lloyd, the Bess Hieronymus Endowed Fellow and assistant professor of organ and composition at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Lloyd’s recital will be the first of six during the festival, which also will include a brass and organ Christmas concert and three open gallery nights. New this year are a concert at which organists will perform works that audiences have voted for online, an interactive concert for youth and a master class at the Salt Lake Tabernacle.

The Jan. 14 concert à la carte, where the program will be decided by the audience, is “a little bit of an experiment,” Terrone said. “We wanted to feature members of the festival board who are organists.”

For this concert, a list of suggested pieces will be posted on the festival website in September. The public can cast votes for their favorite organ music. The winning pieces will be played by Terrone and Tabernacle organists Richard Elliott and Andrew Unsworth.

The Jan. 27 “Young Person’s Guide to the Organ” is designed for listeners ages 3 to 10 and will last about 40 minutes. It will include a presentation on the organ, singing with The Madeleine Choir School choristers and some audience participation.

“It will be a concert to attract and inspire young listeners,” Terrone said.

The master class at the Salt Lake Tabernacle will be with Tom Winpenny of St. Albans Cathedral in the United Kingdom. It will be free of charge and open to all organ students in the valley, Terrone said. The master class is funded by the Utah chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

At the Open Gallery Nights, families and organ-lovers may enjoy a tour of the cathedral, learn about the history and functioning of the cathedral organ and play their favorite music on the organ.

The recitals are held on Sundays at 8 p.m. at the cathedral. The dates and times of the other performances and events are listed below. All of the performances will be live-streamed and will be archived on the festival website. Free and open to the public.

Sept 10 — S. Andrew Lloyd, University of Texas at San Antonio; music by Frescobaldi, Dupré, Messiaen and Lloyd.

Oct. 8 — Stephen Tharp, New York City, N.Y.; music by Bach, Franck, Reger and improvisations.

Nov. 12 — Aaron Tan, winner of the 2021 Canadian International Organ Competition, DMA candidate at the Eastman School of Music; music by Böhm, Germani, Vierne and Weir.

Dec. 10 — Brass and Organ Christmas Concert featuring the brass section of the Utah Symphony

Jan. 14 — Concert à la carte with Tabernacle organists Richard Elliott and Andrew Unsworth and Cathedral Organist Gabriele Terrone.

Jan. 27, 2 p.m. (Saturday) — The Young Person’s Guide to the Organ: an interactive presentation with The Madeleine Choir School choristers

Feb. 2, 7 p.m. (Friday) — Open Gallery Night: an opportunity for organ enthusiasts of every age to explore and play the Cathedral’s Eccles Memorial Organ. Participation is limited. Register at ecclesorganfestival.weebly.com/.

Feb. 11 — David Briggs, artist in residence at Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY, Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral (UK); music by Ravel, Liszt, Vierne and improvisations.

March 8, 2 p.m. (Friday) — master class at the Salt Lake Tabernacle with Tom Winpenny (St. Albans Cathedral, UK). Register online.

March 10 — Tom Winpenny, St. Albans Cathedral, (UK); music by Schumann, Elgar and Bingham.

April 26, 7 p.m. (Friday) — Open Gallery Night: opportunity for organ enthusiasts of every age to explore and play the Cathedral’s Eccles Memorial Organ. Participation is limited. Register at ecclesorganfestival.weebly.com/.

May 17, 7 p.m. (Friday) — Open Gallery Night: opportunity for organ enthusiasts of every age to explore and play the Cathedral’s Eccles Memorial Organ. Participation is limited. Register at ecclesorganfestival.weebly.com/.

Thirty-minute organ recitals are also offered at the cathedral at 5:30 p.m. on selected Sundays from September through April.