Cathedral Organs
Note: On April 14, 2019, Palm Sunday, a minor fire in our crypt resulted in smoke and detritus in the Cathedral, which has temporarily silenced our pipe organs. While they are being cleaned, we are blessed to have use of one of the finest electronic organs available. The instrument, by Walker Technical of Pennsylvania, has a digitally sampled Æolian-Skinner sound palette and a highly evolved and specific audio support system. We will be using an organ by Walker Technical until late 2023, when cleaning of the Great Organ is expected to finish.
The Cathedral campus boasts six organs. The largest of them, The Great Organ, was built by the Ernest M. Skinner Company in 1910 as Op. 150, and rebuilt and enlarged by G. Donald Harrison of Aeolian-Skinner in 1954 as Op. 150-A. After a devastating fire in 2001, the Great Organ was painstakingly restored by Quimby Pipe Organs of Warrensburgh, Missouri under the supervision of Douglass Hunt, Organ Curator of the Cathedral.
The Great Organ is widely considered to be the masterpiece of American pipe organ building and is an acclaimed national treasure. It is a four manual and pedal, seven division, electro-pneumatic action instrument of 151 ranks and 8,514 pipes. The Great Organ has several extraordinary features, including the world famous State Trumpet above the Cathedral's West End, one of the most powerful organ stops in the world.
Learn more about The Great Organ's exquisitely detailed architecture and view a complete listing of its pipes.
Sunday Post-Evensong Recitals
Following Choral Evensong on select Sundays in the fall and spring, we have the privilege of hosting distinguished organists from around the world in performance. These 5 pm recitals are free to the public and 45 minutes in length.
Fall 2023
September 10
Theo van Wyk (Pretoria, South Africa)
Associate Professor of Music, University of Pretoria
Exploring South African Organ Music
September 17
David Briggs (New York, New York)
Artist in Residence, St. John the Divine
September 24
Kent Tritle (New York, New York)
Director of Cathedral Music, St. John the Divine
October 1
*No recital as the Cathedral celebrates St. Francis Day
October 8
Aletheia Teague (Los Angeles, California)
Student of Paul Jacobs, The Juilliard School
October 15
Daniel Ficarri (New York, New York)
Associate Director of Music & Organist, St. John the Divine
Celebrating Opening of Divine Pathways Exhibit
October 22
Janet Yieh (New York, New York)
Director of Music, Church of the Heavenly Rest
Spring 2024
March 3
Shannon Mathai (Montgomery, Alabama)
Organist and Music Assistant, Trinity Presbyterian Church
March 10
Raymond Nagem (New York, NY)
Minister of Music, Brick Presbyterian Church
March 17
Paul Griffiths (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
Vice President, Royal College of Organists
March 24 & 31
*No recitals as the Cathedral celebrates Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday
April 7
David Briggs (New York, New York)
Artist in Residence, St. John the Divine
April 14
Christopher Houlihan (Hartford, Connecticut)
College Organist & Director of Chapel Music, Trinity College
Co-Presented by the Wagner Society of New York
April 21
Carolyn Craig (London, England)
Organ Scholar, Westminster Abbey
April 28
Jacob Gruss (New York, New York)
Organ Scholar, St. John the Divine
Wednesday Organ Demonstrations
Beginning in 2024, our Cathedral Organists will offer entertaining and informative demonstrations of our unparalleled Great Organ on Wednesdays at 2 pm, following the Cathedral Highlights Tour. As cleaning of our Great Organ nears completion, stay tuned for more information on our organ demonstration schedule and tickets!
Raymond Nagem, Former Associate Director of Music, Demonstrates the Great Organ
Additional Organs on the Close
Smaller Aeolian-Skinner organs in the Chapels of St. Ansgar (1956) and St. James (1961) are regularly played for the more intimate services held in these spaces, including weddings and funerals.
The Flentrop portative organ was gifted by Carnegie Hall to the cathedral in 2012. It was previously a gift from the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam on the occasion of Carnegie Hall’s centennial.
The Cathedral’s Synod Hall, located on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 110th Street, houses a 1913 E. M. Skinner organ – one of the earliest Skinner organs in completely unaltered condition. However, this instrument is currently unplayable until it can be restored.