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Segerstrom Concert Hall’s new pipe organ reverberates online

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Pipe organs don’t hold the vaunted place in classical music culture that they once did. Most people associate them with church music. Perhaps because of that, the vast majority of concert halls in the U.S. have chosen to forgo these large and expensive musical instruments.

In Southern California, we’re lucky enough to have two major concert halls equipped with world-class pipes. Disney Hall’s organ is justly celebrated for its architectural significance. In Orange County, the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall unveiled its own magnificent organ last fall to much fanfare.

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While it’s way too early to say pipe organs are making a comeback, they are becoming more accessible thanks to the Internet and young organists such as the Grammy-nominated (and rather glam rock-ish) Cameron Carpenter, who has performed many times in the Los Angeles area.

This week, the Segerstrom Concert Hall’s William J. Gillespie Concert organ made its online debut with a streaming audio concert available for free on American Public Media. The concert was recorded in October and features two hours of music and lectures, all focusing on the concert hall’s newest addition.

While Culture Monster recommends you make a visit to Segerstrom Concert Hall to check out the organ in person, this certainly qualifies as the next best thing.

-- David Ng

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