AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS ANNOUNCES
SUMMER 2003 TOUR OF ORGANS IN BACH’S HOMELAND
AGO President Frederick Swann Invites Friends of the Organ to Join Him on a Tour of Historic European Organs and Leipzig Bach Festival
 NEW YORK CITY — Frederick Swann, president of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), invites AGO members, their families, and friends of the organ and organ music to join him on a tour of BAROQUE ORGANS IN BACH’S HOMELAND sponsored by Matterhorn Travel, May 21–June 4, 2003. The group will visit the cities of Naumburg, Berlin, Eisenach, Weimar, Leipzig, Dresden, Halle, and Wittenberg.
Tour participants will have the opportunity to play many historic organs in churches and cities especially connected with J.S. Bach and Martin Luther. A visit to the famous Hildebrandt organ in Naumburg is included. Dedicated by Bach in 1746, it is the largest and most important organ played by Bach and still in use today. In addition, the tour will include seven concerts of the Leipzig Bach Festival, and six lectures by Christoph Wolff, the internationally renowned Bach scholar, Harvard University professor, and director of the Leipzig Bach-Archiv.
“In recent years, the annual Leipzig Bachfest has joined the ranks of the leading and most attractive European music festivals,” notes Christoph Wolff. “International artists of the highest caliber are prominently featured on its programs. One of the most special appeals of the festival, however, are the historic churches, halls, and sites that have changed surprisingly little since Bach’s time. The central location of Leipzig in the ancient Lutheran heartland lends itself to an exploration of a wider geographical, artistic, and intellectual context.”
A portion of the proceeds from the tour will benefit the AGO. Please call AGO National Headquarters at (212) 870-2310 or e-mail <info@agohq.org> to request a color brochure with complete tour information. Space is limited.
The AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, the AGO seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music. The purpose of the AGO is to promote the organ in its historic and evolving roles, to encourage excellence in the performance of organ and choral music, and to provide a forum for mutual support, inspiration, education, and certification of Guild members. The Guild currently serves more than 20,000 members in 343 local chapters throughout the United States and abroad. The American Organist Magazine, the official journal of the AGO, the Royal Canadian College of Organists, and the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, reaches an audience of more than 24,000 each month. The official Web site of the AGO is <www.agohq.org>.
This information is submitted by F. Anthony Thurman, Director of Development and Communications at the National Headquarters of the American Guild of Organists and The American Organist Magazine. For further information, please contact Dr. Thurman by TEL (212) 870-2310, FAX (212) 870-2163 or E-MAIL <fathurman@agohq.org>.
|
