The School of Music at UNCSA rededicated the recently renovated Sarah Graham Kenan Memorial Organ – the C.B. Fisk, Op. 75(opens in new tab) – with a free gala recital on Saturday, Oct. 11.
UNCSA Kenan Professor of Organ and Salem College Associate Professor of Organ Timothy Olsen performed works by J.S. Bach, César Franck, Julius Reubke and Margaret Sandresky. The rededication is the capstone of the John and Margaret Mueller Memorial Weekend at UNCSA and Salem College.
The recital celebrated the completion of a significant renovation of the Fisk organ, which was originally installed in 1977 under John Mueller’s supervision. The restoration, which took place this past summer, included revoiced pipework, the addition of two new stops, and a “major tune-up,” said Professor Olsen. C.B. Fisk President Michael Kraft and Director of Special Projects & Maintenance Carl Klein oversaw the three-month project (see the time-lapse video(opens in new tab)).
C.B. Fisk is located in the Cape Ann Industrial Park in Gloucester, MA. It was founded in 1961 by Charles Brenton Fisk (1925-1983), who was the first American organ builder to build significant tracker organs during the 20th century, and one of the first modern American organ builders to abandon the electro-pneumatic action of the early 20th century and return to the mechanical (tracker) key and stop action of European and American instruments of an earlier time.