Are you a church musician – or merely a fan of great organ music? Join us for a day dedicated to celebrating and enjoying the “king of instruments” – the pipe organ! You’ll hear from Jared Lamenzo, director of music at the Basilica of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral; enjoy breakout sessions with some of New York’s finest Catholic musicians; have the chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with representatives of three of the world’s most renowned organ builders; and enjoy an “all-star” concert on the Seminary’s 41-rank Casavant Frères pipe organ. Ticket price includes lunch.

Tickets: $35 (full day with lunch) /$20 (concert only)

OrganFest! Schedule

9:00 Keynote

Jared Lamenzo: "Restoration of the 1868 Henry Erben Organ at the Basilica of Old St. Patrick's Cathedral"

10:00 Breakout I

Session A: Beginning organ repertoire (Jared Lamenzo -Old St. Patrick's Basilica)

Session B: Organbuilder “roundtable” (moderated by Fr. George Hafemann, St. John's Parish, Goshen)

11:00 Breakout II

Session A: “Piccolos, Pistons, and Principals: A Primer on Organ Registration” (Fr. George Hafemann)

Session B: Pianists transitioning to organ (Mark Pacoe - Director of Music and Organist at Parish of St. John Nepomucene, St. John Martyr and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini)

11:45 Lunch

12:45 Breakout III

Session A: “Tournemire’s L’Orgue Mystique: Model for Improvisations and Compositions for the Sacred Liturgy” (Dr. Jennifer Donelson, Associate Professor & Director of Sacred Music Saint Joseph’s Seminary)

Session B: "Organ Improvisation during Mass: More Than Just Filler” (James Wetzel, Director of Music and Organist at Parish of Saint Vincent Ferrer and Saint Catherine of Siena)

1:45 Recital

Jared Lamenzo: Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), Prelude and Fugue in G Major

James Wetzel: Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), Prelude and Fugue in E Flat Major, Op. 99, No. 3

Fr. George Hafemann: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), Rhosymedre (“Lovely”) from Three Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes

Liya Petrides: Max Reger (1873-1916), Choral Phantasie on Ein Feste Burg

Dr. Jennifer Donelson: Charles Tournemire (1870-1939), “Choral Alleluiatique No. 4” - Office #46, Dominica XIX post Pentecosten from L’Orgue Mystique

Mark Pacoe: Paul Creston (1906-1985), Suite for Organ, Op. 70 (Prelude; Prayer; Toccata)

2:45 Departure