Southern Arizona American Guild of Organists

THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN POSTPHONED AND NO RESCHEDULED DATE IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

Sunday, Nov. 30, 3 p.m.
St. Philip’s in the Hill’s Episcopal Church
4440 N. Campbell Ave.

Jonathan Dove, English composer, set seven texts, including poetry by Blake, Dickinson and Tennyson, to create Passing of the Year for double chorus and piano in memory of his mother.

Herbert Howells Requiem was composed in 1932, but first published almost 50 years later in 1981. Set for unaccompanied choir, it uses a combination of texts from the traditional Requiem Mass and other sacred sources.
Donation

The Festival of Advent Lessons and Carols is a program of brief scripture readings with traditional and contemporary carols and anthems sung by the congregation; led by the parish's combined choirs; and accompanied on piano and the historic 1949 Moeller pipe organ.

Saturday, January 4, 1 p.m.
The Highland Community Clubhouse
332 West Matterhorn
Oro Valley, AZ

Join us once again for this favorite holiday event which will be held after Christmas, celebrating close to Epiphany.
The Kuhlman’s have once again very kindly invited us to celebrate at the at The Highland Community Clubhouse in Oro Valley.

James C. Kautz Memorial Concert Lin-Linder Piano Duo 3:00pm on Saturday, January 11, 2025 The Lin-Linder Piano Duo began performing together after a dynamic collaboration at the University of Arizona’s Faculty Showcase Concert “Dancing on the Keyboard: Piano Music for Two, Four, and Six Hands.” As avid performers of contemporary works, Lin-Linder Piano Duo’s performance […]

The Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (SAAGO) presents Pedals, Pipes & Pizza every year, making it the perfect opportunity to introduce students from middle school through high school, to the King of Instruments - the Magnificent Pipe Organ. More than an introduction to the pipe organ, participants will receive instruction on playing the instrument as well as being able to actually sit at the console and play the instrument. There will be qualified, experienced, instructors on hand as well for anyone wishing to pursue private organ lessons. We urge all our members, advertiser, friends, and patrons of SAAGO to invite a young musician. Invite your grandchild, your great-grandchild, your neighbor and their young musician to this superb event on January 25, 2025. It's going to be something the students will never forget, nor will you as a host. Space is limited; therefore, download the registration form and flyer (see below in the post) and get the registration form into SAAGO as soon as possible. This event opens a whole new world to a young pianist, keyboard player, etc..

To sweeten the deal, this year's Pedals, Pipes & Pizza offers two (2) NEW! opportunities for participants: 1) We are offering the student participants a chance to be registered to win SIX (6) FREE LESSONS on the Magnificent Holtkamp Organ - THE VERY ONE THEY ARE PLAYING AT PEDALS, PIPES & PIZZA - from World Renowned Organist, Dr. Jeffrey Campbell, Associate Director of Music & Organist at Saint Philip's In The Hills Episcopal Church. 2) Through the graciousness of Dr. Valerie Harris, Dean -Central Arizona Chapter | American Guild of Organists (CAZAGO), SAAGO has been able to borrow this unique "Build Your Own Pipe Organ Kit" (the Orgelkids Kit) in order to make this year's Pedals, Pipes & Pizza a unique, exciting, and hands-on experience. Thusly, we are having an organ building activity in place of the usual video for a truly an experiential exercise filled with fun and learning.

The St. Alban's 2024-2025 concert season continues with Michigan organist, pianist, and harpsichordist Julia Brown.

Julia is the organist and Director of Music at Mayflower Congregational Church and practice pianist for the Calvin Alumni Choir in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Julia maintains a full schedule of teaching, performing and recording.

Julia has appeared in concert in North and South America and in Europe, having performed for the AGO Regional and National Conventions, the Latin American Organist Conventions, the Oregon Bach Festival and other international organ and music festivals. Her organ and harpsichord recordings of W.F. Bach, J. S. Bach, Buxtehude and Scheidemann have gained high critical acclaim.

Julia will be presenting the southwest premiere of a commissioned work, "Peace," by Wolfgang Rübsam who plans to be in attendance. The program will also include works by W.F. Bach, J.S. Bach, Buxtehude, and Scheidemann. Julia played here 10 years ago, shortly after the Fritts organ was installed, and is looking forward to returning.

We are pleased to welcome Julia back to St. Alban's for this wonderful concert.

The performing organist for the Roy Johnson Memorial Organ Series will be Doug Leightenheimer. Doug is a past Dean of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (SAAGO), as well as a long-time organist and choir master at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Tucson, Doug has also served on the executive boards of the Sarasota-Manatee (Florida) and Wilmington (North Carolina) chapters of the same organization, including two terms as dean for each group.

Doug is a published composer and recitalist. In 2008 he was featured with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra performing Symphony No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns and Symphonie Concertante by Joseph Jongen. In both April 2013 and April 2014, he performed the Mildred Flood Mahoney Memorial Organ Series Concert at the University of Arizona. Recent solo performances include the evensong series at St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church, and the 2015 summer series at Catalina United Methodist Church in Tucson. During UA’s 2016 spring semester, he served as an assistant conductor with the University Community Chorus.

Two classically trained musicians, both with broad musical interests and a variety of work in many of New York City’s musical circles, Michael Hey and Christiana Liberis embarked on a partnership in 2017 to bring a new and fresh approach to the organ and violin repertoire. They continue to explore and create different styles and genres of music for these two instruments.

The 1960s and 70s proved fertile years for realizing the promises of the Organ Reform Movement in the building of organs as envisioned by Albert Schweitzer earlier in the century. Organ enrollment in the colleges and universities was high, and master teachers brought about a renewed interest in performance practice made possible by the “tracker” craze.

Professor Kuhlman will touch on a few of the builders and teachers of organ who were vanguards in realizing these “reforms” during these “golden” years.

The highly regarded Alcée Chriss returns to Tucson.

Alcée Chriss III is widely regarded as one of the leading young organists of our time. Alcée is the First-prize, and Bach-prize, winner at the 2017 Canadian International Organ Competition; moreover, Alcée holds many more
prestigious awards. Alcée currently serves as University Organist and Artist-in-Residence at Wesleyan University.

The venue for this featured artist's event is:
Catalina United Methodist Church
2700 E. Speedway Blvd.

Cost: $30 (general admission); $25 Seniors; $10 Students (with I.D.)

Saturday: 02/22/2025

In this favorite series of recitals, upcoming and talented young musicians from the Tucson area are invited to perform on their instruments in Saint Philip’s sanctuary.

The second concert in the Rising Stars Concert Series features two talented musicians who are sure to thrill the listener with their artistic stylings of pieces from Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Ravel, Prokofiev, Chopin, Scriabin, and Khachaturian. The concert begins with selections from The Nutchracker Suite, Op. 71a and concludes with Sabre Dance, a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane (1942).

Dr. Pamela Decker performs her annual faculty recital on the Harris/Schoenstein organ in University of Arizona's Holsclaw Hall.

Pamela is a prolific, world-renowned composer - as well as professor of organ and theory at the University of Arizona, Tucson Campus. Dr. Decker currently leads the composition arena with her compositions published by major music publishers. Dr. Decker's compositions have been performed in at least 19 countries by musicians from all over the world.

Today's recital is sure to enthrall the audience as Dr. Decker performs some of her original works. Plan to attend this FREE CONCERT by world-renowned organist and composer, Dr. Pamela Decker.