1930 Aeolian pipe organ in the Longwood Gardens Ballroom

Longwood Gardens' flowers in full bloom

Longwood Gardens Ballroom

Organ interior

Longwood Laureates

…youthful finalists in the First Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition demonstrate the versatility of the Conservatory’s 1930 Aeolian pipe organ.

Program Broadcast dates:

• Week of January 26, 2015

Links and Resources:

• Printable program listings

Additional Audio:

Nelson Barden, curator of the Aeolian pipe organ at Longwood Garden's, offers these insights, in conversation with Michael Barone:

Music played in the program

Hour 1

PAUL DUKAS (trans. Lionel Rogg):  The Sorcerer’s Apprentice –Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard (3rd Prize)

JOHANNES BRAHMS:  Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 (trans. Lemare) –Jinhee Kim (finalist)

CARL MARIA VON WEBER (trans. Whittingham-Peace-Pajan):  Oberon Overture.  HEALEY WILLAN:  Fugue, fr Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue –Adam Pajan (2nd Prize)

JOHANNES BRAHMS:  Tragic Overture, Op. 81 –Benjamin Sheen (1st Prize)

Hour 2

W. A. MOZART (trans. Mateva):  The Marriage of Figaro Overture –Silviya Mateva (semi-finalist)

EDWARD ELGAR:  Allegretto, fr Organ Sonata in G, Op. 28 –James Kennerly (semi-finalist)

CESAR FRANCK:  Choral No. 1 in E –Thomas Gaynor (finalist)

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR:  Andante sostenuto, fr Organ Symphony No. 9, Op. 70 (Gothique) –Matthieu Latreille (semi-finalist)

FELIX MENDELSSOHN (trans. Sheen):  The Hebrides Overture, Op. 26 –Benjamin Sheen (1st Prize)

ZEQUINHA ABREU (arr. Smith-Pajan):  Tico Tico –Adam Pajan (2nd Prize)

Located in the countryside near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and one of the premiere botanical gardens in the United States, Longwood, now a popular public destination, is the former home of industrialist Pierre DuPont.  It boasts an Aeolian organ with 10,010 pipes in a ballroom attached to the large glass-enclosed floral conservatory.

The winter-spring season of the Longwood Gardens Organ Series commences with a performance by local soloist Tim Evers (February 1) and continues with appearances by Hector Olivera (February 12), Michael Stairs and Rudy Lucente (March 1), Peter Richard Conte (March 29), Open Console Day (April 11), Daniel Roth (April 30), and Nigel Potts (May 3).  The Second Longwood International Organ Competition will be held next year, in June 2016.

Link to a series of YouTube video portraits of Longwood competitors:

            Benjamin Sheen
            Adam Pajan
            Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard
            Thomas Gaynor
            Jeehin Kim
            Silviya Mateva
            James Kennerly
            Matthieu Latreille
            Yuri McCoy
            Daria Burlak

As an interesting side-bar, you might enjoy Rollin Smith’s recent book, Pipe Organs of the Rich and Famous, available from the Organ Historical Society.