The performer on the video is Felix Hell, a fantastic performer who recorded his first cd at 13, graduated from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and is either finishing or done with a Master's degree in organ at Peabody conservatory. I've had the pleasure of meeting him and hearing him play twice. I highly recommend his cds.
I heard about Felix Hell from an article that Uwe Siemon-Netto wrote when he was still working for UPI. In December 2001, I was able to attend a recital he gave at the Christuskirche (UMC) in Glendale.
(While I was waiting for the recital to begin, I glanced at the hymnal, which was published by a Methodist publishing house in Stuttgart. I was surprised to see that the communion liturgy appeared to be the German text from which TLH wss translated and that the tunes for the liturgy were the same as TLH. The hymns for Advent were Lutheran hymns. I didn't find any hymns by Wesley in this part of the hymnal.)
In later years, I went to hear Felix play at Hollywood High School (on the organ that Virgil Fox played, which had just been restored), Bel Air Presbyterian Church (I think that President Reagan was amember of this church at some time) and at the University of Redlands (on Holy Saturday in 2003, after which I rushed to Hacienda Heights for the Easter Vigil, since the congregation I belong to doesn't have that service).
I missed Felix's last performance in Southern California in La Habra Heights in 2004 because I didn't know about it until afterwards.
I once suggested to someone in the CUI music department that they invite him to play on the organ in the CU Center, but I have no idea if they will ever do that.
I see that he is scheduled to play at CUNE next year on Bach's birthday (and on the following day) when the new organ is dedicated there. Anyone in that area should make an effort to attend one of those recitals.
7 comments:
That's a nice organ.
Yes, I'm coveting...
Wonderful, since we are currently on a bach trip..
A great clip - I linked to it some time ago on my own blog.
The performer on the video is Felix Hell, a fantastic performer who recorded his first cd at 13, graduated from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and is either finishing or done with a Master's degree in organ at Peabody conservatory. I've had the pleasure of meeting him and hearing him play twice. I highly recommend his cds.
I heard about Felix Hell from an article that Uwe Siemon-Netto wrote when he was still working for UPI. In December 2001, I was able to attend a recital he gave at the Christuskirche (UMC) in Glendale.
(While I was waiting for the recital to begin, I glanced at the hymnal, which was published by a Methodist publishing house in Stuttgart. I was surprised to see that the communion liturgy appeared to be the German text from which TLH wss translated and that the tunes for the liturgy were the same as TLH. The hymns for Advent were Lutheran hymns. I didn't find any hymns by Wesley in this part of the hymnal.)
In later years, I went to hear Felix play at Hollywood High School (on the organ that Virgil Fox played, which had just been restored), Bel Air Presbyterian Church (I think that President Reagan was amember of this church at some time) and at the University of Redlands (on Holy Saturday in 2003, after which I rushed to Hacienda Heights for the Easter Vigil, since the congregation I belong to doesn't have that service).
I missed Felix's last performance in Southern California in La Habra Heights in 2004 because I didn't know about it until afterwards.
I once suggested to someone in the CUI music department that they invite him to play on the organ in the CU Center, but I have no idea if they will ever do that.
I see that he is scheduled to play at CUNE next year on Bach's birthday (and on the following day) when the new organ is dedicated there. Anyone in that area should make an effort to attend one of those recitals.
His web site is felix-hell.com
Felix Hell will perform a recital in Peru, IL on March 29, 2009 at First Congregational Church. He'll be fresh off the Seward dedication recital.
I smell ROAD TRIP!
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