The pipe organ is the focus of an upcoming All-Star concert that will feature seven organists and an interesting program designed to showcase the instrument with virtuosity. The concert takes place July 8 at the Rosedale Centre, part of the Rosedale United Church in Toronto.
The stellar lineup of organists includes: Jeffrey Brillhart, Katelyn Emerson, Aaron James, Kevin Komisaruk, Jonathan Oldengarm, David Simon, and Sarah Svendsen. The musicians will be performing on an instrument originally installed by Casavant Frères Ltée. In 1914 (Opus 591, 1914), upgraded in 2005 (Opus 591, 2005), with 44 ranks.
The Program
- Sarah Svendsen: Toccata from Symphony No. 1, Op. 36 by Rachel Laurin (1961-2023)
- Katelyn Emerson: Fantasie-Improvisation sur “Ave Maris Stella” by Charles Tournemire (1870-1939)
- Aaron James: Allegro Maestoso from Organ Sonata in G, op. 28 by Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
- Jeffrey Brillhart: Improvisation by Jeffrey Brillhart (b.1955)
- David Simon: Orah by Jeanne Landry (1922-2011)
- Jonathan Oldengarm: Finale from Organ Symphony No. 9 (‘Gothique’), op. 70 by Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
- Kevin Komisaruk: Paean by Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
The Artists
A native of Nova Scotia, Sarah Svendsen is based in Toronto nowadays, where she has a busy career as a soloist and collaborator in ensemble performance, as well as an educator. She has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and recorded Apocalypsis by Canadian Composer R. Murray Schaffer as well as Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. She also performs as part of the comedy duo Organized Crime.
Organist, lecturer, and pedagogue Katelyn Emerson’s performance schedule takes her from North America to Europe and Asia, with a repertoire that spans the 14th to 21st centuries. She is also a recording artist, with two releases to her credit. Based in both the US and UK, she is a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Music and Science,
Aaron James is a native of Toronto, and studied organ performance at the University of Western Ontario, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. He subsequently earned a Master of Music in Organ Performance and Literature, a Doctor of Musical Arts in Organ Performance and Literature in 2015, and a Doctor of Philosophy in musicology at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. He is the Director of Music at the Toronto Oratory of St Philip Neri, and a Sessional Lecturer in organ at the University of Toronto. Aaron James is the Director of Music at the Toronto Oratory of St Philip Neri, and a Sessional Lecturer in organ at the University of Toronto.
Jeffrey Brillhart is an American organist, conductor and teacher. He has been the director of music and fine arts at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church since 1983, and holds the same position with the Singing City Choir in Philadelphia. David is a doctoral candidate at Yale University, and a Fellow of the RCCO. His career as a soloist has taken him throughout America, Europe, South Africa, Mexico, and South America.
Recitalist, music educator, and liturgical musician David Simon is Director of Music at the historic Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Toronto. He won first prize in both the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO) national competition and the University of Michigan’s organ improvisation competition. David maintains a busy calendar as a recitalist, performing across North America, Europe, and Russia, as well as teaching, where his specialty is organ improvisation.
Jonathan Oldengarm is the Music Director of the Metropolitan Church in Toronto, where he performs on the country’s largest pipe organ. Formerly from Montreal, he is a recitalist, teacher, and church musician who performs on the harpsichord as well as the organ. His repertoire includes everything from early music to 21st century avant-garde music. He holds degrees from Wilfrid Laurier and McGill Universities, and also studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Stuttgart, Germany.
Organist and harpsichordist Kevin Komisaruk has been a professor in the performance street at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music since 2003. His research looks at various aspects of performance, kinaesthetics and improvisation, and how they interact with emotional, spiritual, and physical health, and has developed programs for music performance in medicine. On the performing side, his career has taken him through North America and Europe, and he is also a recording artist on the ATMA label.
- The concert is presented by the Royal Canadian College of Organists in partnership with the Rosedale Centre with support from Hugh’s Room Live. Get tickets and event information [HERE].
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