Kimmel Center Presents 8th Annual Organ Day

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, in association with the Philadelphia Chapter of The American Guild of Organists (AGO), is proud to present the 8th Annual Organ Day. It's a six-hour marathon of FREE organ music performed on The Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ taking place on Saturday, June 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Audiences of all ages are invited to explore the largest mechanical pipe organ in a concert venue in the United States, through a diverse line-up of programming tailored to include something for everyone. Audience members are invited to attend for any and all portions of the day. Also, don't miss Organ Pumps, where audience members can lie on the stage of Verizon Hall and feel the powerful vibrations of the organ!

"We are excited to celebrate this annual tradition of showcasing our beloved Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ for the majestic instrument that it is," said Anne Ewers, President & CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. "Our free Organ Day displays the full range of the organ as it is paired with handbells, ballet dancers, silent film and more -- something for all ages."

This year's Organ Day will include the Opera Philadelphia Premiere of work from Conductor Elizabeth Braden and Organist F. Anthony Thurman. Plus, audiences will enjoy a World Premiere between The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia & the Joybells of Melmark. Philadelphia-based composer Adam Vidiksis composed this new work entitled Contemplation. Often drawing from both acoustic and electronic sounds, his music has been heard in concert halls and venues around the globe. Critics have called Vidiksis' music "mesmerizing", "dramatic", and "striking" (Philadelphia Weekly).

Also new to Organ Day are performances by The Pennsylvania Ballet. Dancers will perform Don Quixote Pas De Deux, Giselle 2nd Act Pas De Deux, and the BLACK SWAN Pas De Deux, with music from Organist Peter Conte. Mr. Conte is a highly skilled performer of the standard organ repertoire. He has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Philly POPS, and with numerous orchestras around the country.

The Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Day showcases the instrument in its full range of glory, beginning at 11:00 a.m. with a short welcome from Organist Michael Barone. It's followed by the family program PNC Grow Up Great performance of Peter and the Wolf by Puppet Art Theatre of Sacramento. Children are then invited to touch the organ. At 12:00 p.m. there will be a silent film, Who Stole the Mona Lisa?, set to Stravinsky's Suite from The Firebird. It is produced and directed by Micah Chambers-Goldberg. At 12:20 p.m., Organists Parker Kitterman and Lucas Brown will perform a Sonnet of Praise, a neo-Baroque composition based on the American folk hymn "Nettleton." It will be followed by several AGO soloists Aaron Patterson, Leah Martin, Laurie Mueller, and Andrew Senn. Closing out the first session's programming is a performance presented by Opera Philadelphia.

After the break, there will be Jackson Borges In Recital at 2:25 p.m. followed by Bach Toccata Round Robin and the Philadelphia Brass and Organ. The Pennsylvania Ballet will perform at 3:30 p.m., followed by AGO Soloists and the silent film, The Goat starring Buster Keaton. The day concludes with the Kimmel Center's famed Organ Pumps during which audience members can lie on the stage of Verizon Hall and feel the powerful vibrations of the organ.

Unveiled in May 2006, The Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ, Dobson organ Op. 76, ranks as the largest mechanical-action concert hall organ in the United States with 6,938 pipes, four blowers, 300 levels of memory, 111 stops, and a total weight of app. 32 tons. The largest pipes are made of wood and are about 32 feet tall, while the smallest metal pipes are similar in size to a slender drinking straw. It is the culmination of more than six years and 52,000 man-hours of planning, construction, and voicing (the process of producing specific tones by manipulating the speech of organ pipes).

This is a free, non-ticketed event. Patrons are invited to come at any time during the event.

For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.