Organ Installation Underway in Music Building Concert Hall: The School of Music is excited to announce the installation of an organ in the new Music Building Concert Hall. This one-of-a-kind organ is being constructed by Letourneau Organs and is set to be completed in Fall 2024. Check this page for regular updates, exclusive quotes on progress and livestream video footage of the installation.
Here is a list of festivities over the next year celebrating the new organ.
Friday, October 25 BRAVO! Dedicatory (or “Inaugural”) Recital with Daniel Cook (Durham Cathedral organist, UK). Individual tickets on sale August 14.
Saturday, October 26 Opening Faculty Recital (Neil Harmon and Don Cook)
Saturday, October 26 Masterclasses with Letourneau president Andrew Forrest and organist Daniel Cook
Friday, November 15 BYU Philharmonic: Barber Toccata Festiva for organ and orchestra (Don Cook at the organ) (Tickets available beginning mid-August)
Monday, December 9, 5:30 p.m. Organ Area Recital (organ majors)
Friday, February 7 Organ Alumni Recital
Tuesday, March 11 Tabernacle Organists Recital
Saturday, April 12 BYU Philharmonic: Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, “Organ Symphony” (Neil Harmon at the organ)
Monday, April 14, 5:30 p.m. Organ Area Recital (organ majors)
Monday through Friday, August 4-8 BYU Organ Workshop, featuring the Concert Hall Letourneau Organ
Organ Arrangements for New Batches of Hymns: Connor Larsen and Renee Renee Chiu Gastelum are currently pursuing masters degrees at BYU in organ, and as part of their pedagogy class they have worked with Don Cook to create a new resource for the ‘piano’ accompaniments included in these batches of the new hymns. They have created several ‘organ versions’ of the accompaniments for anyone to use. As of now we have 4 posted, with more on their way soon. If you follow the link to the BYU organ website, go below the ‘Ward Organists’ section, and click on “Hymn Arrangements for the Organ” you’ll be taken to our collection of the accompaniments. https://organ.byu.edu
We are pleased to welcome you to take part in The BYU Free Organ Music Exchange. This library is contained in several white crates placed above the twelve organs in the BYU Organ Lab (2217 Music Building). Having been donated by individuals who are downsizing their libraries or from estates, they are available to organists for free.
You are welcome to come to the lab, play through the scores, and take those that you or your students will use. Please do not remove them with the intent to resell. The lab door is unlocked Monday through Saturday between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., but you can stay after 6:00 p.m. if you wish. Please avoid group organ class times: MW 8-5, TTh 9-10 and 4-5, Friday 9-3.
If you have organ scores or books that you’d like to donate, please contact or to arrange for drop-off or pick-up.
The BYU Organ Online Training Sessions for Entry-level Organists, Beyond the Basics Topics, and Music Theory Classes have been scheduled for the coming season. These webinars are free of charge and available to pianists and organists in any location!
The presentations will offer a pre-recorded video from 7:00-8:00 pm Mountain Time, with interactive chat with the instructor during the video, followed by a live Question & Answer session until 8:30 pm Mountain Time. Recordings of each class will be available to view for one month following the live presentation.
