Your opinions on a recitalist

[Ludwig tone]

Ok folk, who would you invite to give a recital to rededicate an organ and why? Our city has hosted Paul Jacobs, Felix Hell, Ann Labounsky, Thomas Murray, Nigel Potts, John Ferguson, Ken Cowan, Bradley Hunter Welch, Carol Terry, Diane Bish, and Mary Preston (plus the AGO regional convention last summer) to name a few. Our instrument is a 43 rank, 3 manual pipe instrument in a warm acoustic environment of @ 320 seats. We have the funds for a national performer, but probably not European. This will be the first national artist for this congregation, as we have hosted local performers until now. I'd love to invite someone that would draw a crowd and be a new face in the city. Iwelcome your ideas and experiences!

[Menschenstimme]

You might consider Carol Williams, the San Diego Civic Organist.

Or, we have a local concert organist here in southern California, Philip A. Smith, who while not widely known, gives excellent recitals.

And there is also Robert Plimpton, the former San Diego Civic Organist.

You should be able to "Google" some information on both of these artists.

Good luck!

[soubasse32]

I hesitate to make recommendations of individual performers, but here are some resources:

http://www.concertartists.com/keyboard.html

http://www.concertorganists.com/

http://www.stringhamorganists.com/artists.htm

I'm sure there are other management companies - perhaps folks will list them here.

[FrenchHorn8]

PLEEEEASE not Carol Williams[+o(]

[soubasse32]

[^o)]

Maybe a PM would be more "PC"...

[Ludwig tone]

Thanks for your suggestions Soubasse! I'd begun looking at the reps a while back. Now I'm just curious about personal recommendations.And to all, if you have suggestions or recommendations, by all means post a reply. If you have had 'discouraging' [:$] encounters, I'd welcome a private email to Timyoung1@bellsouth.net.

Thanks!

[soubasse32]

Hi Ludwig tone,

[quote user="Ludwig tone"]The sanctuary will be closed in April to allow for a 4 month total renovation including a new hard surface floor! ... So by October we'll have a super instrument in a much improved room[/quote]

I was looking at the info you provided about this installation, and something caught my attention. The Parkey website said the organ was rescaled and tonally finished in 2005 - however, a new hard floor (plus other renovations)might change the acoustics drastically. The organ may need to be revoiced again.

Has this been considered?

(I had originally posted this in another thread, but thought it would be a bit more on-topic in this thread...)

[Ludwig tone]

Yes,tonal finishingand adjustments were planned for. He knew going into the tonal work that the room was due for renewal. It's taken 3 flooring committees and 2 project committees and 2 years to come to the same conclusion which was to install hard surface flooring! So Phil planned and actually put off some final finishing until that was in, and the new facade installed. Actually, because our sanctuary is a box with a fairly common steep pitched roof, the room won't ever develope cathedral qualities. We do expect the sound to warm up, and allow the congregation to hear each other better though.

The organ sound is still going to be a little on the large side sound wise, because there was talk early on about wanting to build a new sanctuary, which will not happen now. So the original tonal plans were scaled back a bit, but not the number of ranks, etc.We were and will be careful that tutti 2 doesn't blow folks away. No sense in creating enemies or turning me deaf!

This has been one LONG project for me, beginning back in 1998 when the new console was first proposed!

[soubasse32]

Thanks for the background info - sounds promising. []

[Austin766]

I would recommend Karel Paukert (who has been extraordinarily kind to me, offer ing me basic instruction free of cost and allowing me to play the 3/60 1952 Holtkamp and the 2/25(?) Hradetzky at his church) or you could consider Todd Wilson, but he may be more difficult to get, he seems to be quite in demand, I don't know about Ann Wilson - the school year may not be the best time for her - If you go with either one of the Wilsons, you really can't go wrong. Mrs. Wilson played the 2m Allen at my school last June and made it sound like something, my ear wasn't entirely discriminating, and it was in a large space, but it sounded better than the two manual POS that it is.