Friday, May 23, 2008

Excitement Builds as Opening of the International Year of the Organ Approaches

The following press release was published by the AGO on May 15. Join the international effort and make your chapter plans now! Jan

2008–2009 International Year of the Organ to Be Inaugurated at the AGO National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., June 22–26, 2008

More than 200 Organ Spectacular Concerts Worldwide on Sunday, October 19, 2008 Will Celebrate the King of Instruments

NEW YORK CITY—The American Guild of Organists (AGO) has designated 2008–2009 as the International Year of the Organ (IYO) and is partnering with organizations worldwide to celebrate the King of Instruments. The celebration will commence with the AGO National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., June 22–26, 2008, and will conclude with the AGO Regional Conventions in the summer of 2009. Major support for the International Year of the Organ is provided by Platinum level sponsor Kuhn Orgelbau; Gold level sponsors Reuter Organ Co., Rodgers Instruments, and Walker Technical Co.; and Silver level sponsor Schantz Organ Co.

More than two hundred Organ Spectacular (OS) concerts are planned on Sunday, October 19, 2008. The award winning Ornament of Grace by Bernard Sanders for organ and C instrument, and Stephen Paulus's Blithely Breezing Along for organ, commissioned by David and Cindy Vogels, will be featured works on Organ Spectacular concerts. These concerts will be presented by the AGO's local chapters throughout the U.S. and abroad, as well as by partner organizations including: American Public Media's Pipedreams, the American Theater Organ Society, Organ Historical Society, and Royal Canadian College of Organists. Separately, the governors of Michigan, Montana, Nebraska and Wisconsin have each issued official proclamations declaring that their states will be honoring the organ during this IYO celebratory year.

All AGO chapters and other organizations producing concerts during the IYO are encouraged to submit a complimentary listing of their events on the AGO Web site. This official list of IYO/OS activities will be constantly updated and will be published in the October issue of The American Organist Magazine.

AGO chapters, independent concert organizers, organbuilders, academicians, and others hosting IYO/OS events are invited to adapt for their own use any of the one dozen IYO/OS logo designs available for downloading from the AGO's Web site.

To provide further support for the IYO and OS, the AGO is developing a comprehensive Media Relations Handbook specially designed for AGO Chapters. The Handbook is being produced in cooperation with the Phelps Group, an award-winning international public relations firm. The publication will be available at the IYO/OS booth at the 2008 AGO National Convention and will be discussed in depth during a convention workshop sponsored by the AGO Committee on Professional Networking and Public Relations. The text and model forms will also be available online at the AGO's Web site.

Complete information regarding the International Year of the Organ and Organ Spectacular is available online at www.agohq.org/os. For information about corporate sponsorships, please contact AGO Executive Director James Thomashower, 212-870-2311 (ext. 4300) or e-mail jet@agohq.org. For general information and inquiries about program listings, please contact IYO/OS Project Coordinator Harold Calhoun, 212-870-2311 (ext. 4318) or e-mail os@agohq.org.

Friday, May 02, 2008

POE+ for adults

From May 18-23, the Tri-State Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will be hosting a Pipe Organ Encounter+, a special week for adults wishing to improve their skills at the organ. This is a great opportunity for adult organists to get away, spend time in a beautiful setting, and focus on musical skills with expert instruction on beautiful instruments. Please help spread the word!

Two tracks of instruction will be offered—one for beginners, and one for more experienced players. (The only prerequisite is moderate keyboard facility.) The week, hosted on the beautiful campus of Colorado State University, will consist of daily individual lessons, group classes, organ crawls, and recitals on instruments throughout Fort Collins.

This course will feature local and national performers and clinicians, including: Joel Bacon (Chair of Organ and Liturgical Studies, CSU), Carole Terry (U. of Washington), Ronald Ebrecht (Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT), Denise Lanning (First United Methodist Church, Boulder), Steven Morris (Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Houston, TX), and Tamara Schmiege (St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Fort Collins).

For more information contact Joel Bacon at Joel.Bacon@colostate.edu or (970)443-5031.