Festival Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Historic Instrument

Time-Lapse Installation of the Italian Baroque Organ at Memorial Art Gallery, June 2005

It was the project that almost wasn’t: a rare 18th-century Italian Baroque organ sitting in an antique store in Italy about to be sold off for parts. But thanks to an initiative by the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester and a team of international experts, the relic was rescued and restored to provide Rochester with the only instrument of its kind in North America.

From Oct. 22-25, internationally renowned performers, scholars, and members of the community will participate in a four-day celebration of the organ at the University’s Memorial Art Gallery (MAG). The festival, titled “Performing History: The Italian Baroque Organ and its Cultural Intersections,” commemorates the 10th anniversary of the organ’s installation in MAG’s Fountain Court.

In addition to a host of free recitals, master classes, and a rare opportunity to hear a recently rediscovered Baroque mass by Italian composer Domenico Zipoli, the University will sponsor a series of concerts and talks on topics that range from 17th-century music to the role of Jesuits in colonial Latin America.

“We see this as an opportunity to show the community how music fits into art, culture, and society,” says Honey Meconi, professor of music and faculty lead for a yearlong series of events centered on the organ’s anniversary. “The organ serves as a great example of how music transcends time and continues to be available to all.”

According to David Higgs, chair of the Eastman School’s Organ Department, “from the beginning the project was like finding a fossil of a dinosaur and reconstructing it. Not only does the organ provide insight into 18th-century music, but it acts as a cultural resource that teaches us about the technology and culture of its time.”

In fact, the reconstruction was the first in the Eastman School’s multi-year plan to assemble a collection of new and historic organs throughout Rochester. To date, 11 organs have been installed as part of the Eastman Organ Rochester Initiative (EROI) in various locations in the city, creating a collection that is unparalleled in the United States.

In addition to the four-day festival, two other events are planned for Thursday, Jan. 21 and Thursday, April 21, 2016, in the Memorial Art Gallery’s Fountain Court. These will take place in conjunction with the museum’s monthly concert series.

“What many people don’t know about the Baroque organ is how large a part its location plays in the quality of the music,” says Higgs. “The building proportions at MAG are similar to a small renaissance church, so the acoustics are similar to what you would find in Italy.”

“Performing History: The Italian Baroque Organ and its Cultural Intersections” is sponsored by the University’s Humanities Project, College Music Department, Eastman School of Music, and Memorial Art Gallery. Admission is free to all events, but concert seating is limited and tickets must be reserved in advance. Remaining tickets will be available at the door one hour before the start of the concert.

For more information about the festival and to reserve concert tickets visit www.esm.rochester.edu/organ/mag10th .

About the University of Rochester

The University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation’s leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.

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Calendar Listings for Concerts:

Thursday, October 22

Third Thursday Concert with Eastman’s Italian Baroque Organ. Robert Antonello.”An Italian Perspective.” Part of the Performing History with the Italian Baroque Organ Festival.

7:30 PM