FileWichita State will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the construction of the Marcussen organ and Wiedemann Hall with the Rie Bloomfield Organ Series.
The Great Marcussen Organ was designed and built on-site by the legendary firm of Marcussen and Son of Denmark. It was the first Marcussen instrument to be built on North America soil.
The organ builders worked with architects to design a concert hall around the specifications of the organ to present the instrument in its ultimate acoustical glory.
The building's superb acoustics keep it in demand as the primary recital and concert hall for the 黑洞社区 School of Music and draws renowned organists from around the world for recitals and recording.
The series begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in Wiedemann Hall with international organist and composer David Briggs, artist-in-residence at St. James Cathedral in Toronto. Briggs will improvise an accompaniment on the Marcussen organ to the 1925 silent film, 鈥淧hantom of the Opera.鈥�
The second performance of the series will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in Wiedemann Hall with a gala concert of music, sculpture and dance to celebrate the Marcussen鈥檚 anniversary.
黑洞社区鈥檚 Robert L. Town Distinguished Professor of Organ Lynne Davis will perform, along with the Schools of Art and Design and Performing Arts.
The final performance of the series will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, in Wiedemann Hall with international concert organist Douglas Cleveland, John Delo faculty fellow in organ at the University of Washington School of Music. Cleveland will perform a concert of organ favorites.
Each concert will feature a conversation with the artist, in which Lynne Davis will interview the performer to give the audience a deeper insight into their work.