World- renowned organist Felix Hell will perform on a 1963 M.P. Moller Organ, Opus 9640 Sunday, April 26, 2015, 4:00 PM, St. John’s United Church of Christ, 1811 Lincoln Way East Chambersburg, PA. A meet-the-artist reception will take place following the concert in the church Fellowship Hall. The church is handicapped accessible using the Lincoln Way East entrance.
A native of Germany, Felix Hell is one of the most sought after concert organists in the world. He has been featured as a recitalist and concerto soloist in more than 850 concerts throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The American Organist raved that he “sets standards that older and honored players would struggle to equal.”
Mr. Hell’s discography includes 10 CDs. His most recent recording features music for Organ and Symphony Orchestra by Barber, Guilmant and Jongen. His recordings are frequently broadcast throughout the United States and across the world; he has appeared on television globally.
His project “Music Across America” allows him to travel with his own Touring Organ, performing organ concertos and recitals in spaces that do not house pipe organs, liberating the instrument from its historic confines.
Mr. Hell is known for his diverse and innovative programing, drawing upon a repertoire encompassing five centuries. Felix is known for his marathon performances of the entire organ works of J.S. Bach, which encompass about 250 compositions and close to 20 hours of performance time. He has since performed the complete Bach cycle four times, most recently in 2013 in Seoul, Korea.
Mr. Hell studied at the Julliard School in New York, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (BM), the Peabody Institute in Baltimore (AD, MM). In 2007, he received Johns Hopkins University’s prestigious Outstanding Graduate Award.
His program will include selections from Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Charles-Marie Widor and Franz Liszt.
A meet-the-artist reception will take place following the concert in the church’s Fellowship Hall
About the organ:
This M.P. Moller Organ, Opus 9640 was installed when the church was constructed in 1963. The organ was donated by Charles & Hazel Karper. It consisted of 31 ranks of pipes played on a three manual console with the pipework displayed on the rear gallery and has closed and unenclosed sections. In 1998, a new rank of pipes (61 pipes) was added in the Swell Division. In 2014 the organ was completely refurbished by Lawless & Associates Pipe Organ Company, Inc. of Greencastle, PA. All pipes were removed and cleaned and the organ was totally re-leathered. New solid state combination action and chamber relays were installed. The console was rebuilt with modern action to make changes more seamless.
St. John’s United Church of Christ phone #: 717-263-8593