The Westminster Concert Organ Series in its 30th season at Westminster Church presents three exciting concerts with the magnificent four-manual Casavant Frères pipe organ and new Trompette en Chamade — superb sight lines, great acoustics, and an intermission for friends and coffee. Click here for your 19/20 season ticket order form.
SEBASTIAN HEINDL
2:30 pm, Sunday, 27 October 2019
Sebastian Heindl, 21, is the winner of the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition held in June, garnering the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont First Prize. In addition, Heindl receives a contract with Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, and a 2019-20 performance at Longwood Gardens. Sebastian Heindl received his fundamental musical education as a chorister in St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig, and contributed as a youngster organist to the BBC TV documentary Bach: A Passionate Life with Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the famous Trost organ in Altenburg. Heindl recorded his debut CD at age 17 at Magdeburg Cathedral. Heindl studies church music at the University of Music in Leipzig, and in 2017 won the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition.
PROGRAM
‘The heroic organ: Reformation – Metamorphosis – Revolution’
Eugene Gigout (1844-1925)
Grand choeur dialogué
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564
César Franck (1822-1890)
from Trois Pièces
II. Cantabile
III. Piece heroique
INTERMISSION
‘REFORMATION’
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), tr. W.T. Best / S. Heindl
Overture to the Oratorio "St. Paul" with Choral “Sleepers awake”
‘METAMORPHOSIS’
Thierry Escaich (b. 1965)
from Trois Poemes
2. Le Masque de mort – De Profundis
3. Vers l’esperance – Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison
‘REVOLUTION’
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), tr. T. Heywood / S. Heindl)
Overture to the Tragedy of ‘Egmont’
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JEAN-WILLY KUNZ
2:30 pm, Sunday, 9 February 2020
Jean-Willy Kunz is the first organist in residence of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. In addition to playing both with the Orchestra and in recital, he sees to the development and showcasing of the OSM’s Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique at Maison symphonique de Montréal. His most recent performances include concerts with l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, les Violons du Roy, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, as well as with the singers Pierre Lapointe, and Rufus and Martha Wainwright. Jean-Willy Kunz is organ professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and artistic director of the Canadian International Organ Competition.
PROGRAM
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
The Carnival of the Animals (trans. Jean-Willy Kunz)
— with texts written and narrated by Bill Richardson
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Variations on « Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen »
INTERMISSION
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Toccata, Adagio and Fugue BWV 564
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Messe de la Pentecôte (excerpts)
Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Carillon de Westminster
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PLEASE NOTE:
THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN CANCELLED!
DENIS BEDARD, organist and composer
2:30 pm, Sunday, 26 April 2020
Born in Quebec City in 1950, Denis Bedard graduated from the Quebec Conservatory of music with first class honours in organ, harpsichord, chamber music, counterpoint and fugue. He was laureate of the ‘Prix d’Europe’ in 1975 and the CBC Radio Talent Competition in 1978, and, has been the organist and music director at Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver since September 2001. He has given concerts throughout Canada and in the United States, France and Brazil, and has recorded frequently for Radio-Canada and the CBC. He has composed over 150 works, which have been performed in more than 25 countries and have been published and recorded on CD. He himself has recorded three CDs of his organ compositions.
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