Inaugural Performance Begins New Organ Recital Series
Presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2004 at 7:30 PM

Acura is the Official Automotive Sponsor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
Media support provided by K-MOZART 105.1 FM

After more than a year of late-night installations and tuning sessions, the Walt Disney Concert Hall pipe organ makes its long-awaited debut in a recital by highly acclaimed organist Frederick Swann on Thursday,
September 30 at 7:30 p.m. Swann's appearance is the first of six solo organ performances presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association during the 2004/2005 season.

The sound of the organ is designed to support the orchestra as an accompanying instrument, but also deliver sheer magnitude and pinpointed finesse of the organ's 109 ranks during recitals. The eight pieces of organ music selected for this performance spotlight the organ's vast capabilities and range of timbre, from the quietest pianissimo (ppp) to all-the-stops fortissimo (fff).

The inaugural program offers Mathias' Fanfare (featuring reed and trumpet stops, including the exclusive "Trompeta de Los Angeles" stop), Rheinberger's Introduction and Passacaglia, from his Sonata, Op. 132, No. 8 (a set of 25 variations on an eight-bar theme), Dillon's Woodland Flute Call (featuring flute stops), Bach's Toccata in F, BWV 540 (utilizing the full organ in a Baroque manner), Mendelssohn's Sonata in F, Op. 65, No. 1 (showing the organ's range), Franck's Pièce héroïque (a rollercoaster of dynamic swells), Baker's Berceuse-Paraphrase (imitating the lush sounds of string instruments), and Willan's Introduction, Passacaglia, and Fugue (a monumental piece of great depth, ingenuity, and variety.)

Upbeat Live pre-concert events take place one hour prior to each concert in BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and are free to all ticket holders. Los Angeles Philharmonic Organ Conservator Philip Smith moderates a discussion with Frederick Swann.

A visual centerpiece in the auditorium of Walt Disney Concert Hall, the organ was designed by architect Frank Gehry and built by Manuel J. Rosales of Rosales Organ Builders. The 6,134 pipes range in size from a pencil to a telephone pole, and are voiced with a wide dynamic range from super pianissimo to a breathtaking fortissimo. The instrument with its specially curved wood façade pipes of solid vertical grain Douglas fir was built and installed by Glatter-Götz Orgelbau, Germany. Behind the facade are three levels of pipes, including metal pipes made of tin and lead alloys and wood pipes made of Norwegian pine.

The Organ Recital Series begins on October 11 with Wayne Marshall (Organist-in-residence, The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, England); February 20, 2005 with Martin Haselböck (Vienna Court Organist); April 3 with Thomas Murray (University Organist and Professor of Music at Yale University) and finishes on May 8 with Olivier Latry (organist, Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris). A special event on October 31 features Clark Wilson (Prize-winning theatre organist) performing with the silent film The Phantom of the Opera.

FREDERICK SWANN currently holds the office of National President of the American Guild of Organists, and serves as Organist Emeritus of the Crystal Cathedral and First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, and Organ Artist-in-residence at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, California. One commentator noted that Swann has probably presided over more ranks of pipes and stop knobs than any other organist in history. This is probably true, given the size and prominence of the instruments with which his career has been most notably associate. The Riverside Church in New York City (1957-1982), the Crystal Cathedral (1982-1998) and First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (1998-2001). During his tenure at the Crystal Cathedral, Swann was widely regarded as the most visible organist in the world, as millions in more than 165 countries worldwide saw and heard him on the weekly televised services from the Cathedral. As a teacher, Swann was for ten years Chair of the Organ Department at the Manhattan School of Music and served on the faculties of the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary as well as Teacher's College of Columbia University, New York City. In addition to playing solo recitals in North America and abroad, Swann also performs frequently with symphony orchestras and choral organizations. His many recordings have assisted in making his name one of the best known throughout the music world. In 2002, Swann was named 2002-2003 Performer of the Year by the New York City chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2004 at 7:30 PM

Walt Disney Concert Hall

111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

FREDERICK SWANN, organ

MATHIAS Fanfare

RHEINBERGER Introduction and Passacaglia (from Organ Sonata, Op. 132, No. 8)

DILLON Woodland Flute Call

BACH Toccata in F, BWV 540

MENDELSSOHN Sonata in f, Op. 65, No. 1

FRANCK Pièce héroïque

BAKER Berceuse-Paraphrase

WILLAN Introduction, Passacaglia, and Fugue

Upbeat Live pre-concert events take place one hour prior to each concert in BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and are free to all ticket holders. Los Angeles Philharmonic Organ Conservator Philip Smith converses with Frederick Swann.

Acura is the Official Automotive Sponsor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
Media support provided by K-MOZART 105.1 FM

Tickets ($15 - $41) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.

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