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This is a list and brief description of notable pipe organs in the world, with links to corresponding articles about them.
Please check Organ in the Anaya Chápela of the Old Cathedral of Salamanca (Spain).
There are many methodologies for comparison of organs according to their size. One of the most encompassing methodologies was described by Michał Szostak. [4]
Organ | Country | Location | Builder | Specifications | Details |
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Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ | United States | Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, New Jersey | Midmer-Losh Organ Company, 1929–32 | The largest pipe organ ever built, based on number of pipes. It weighs approximately 150 tons. Most of the organ has not functioned since 1944; a partial restoration in 1998 was largely reversed by construction damage during a renovation of the Boardwalk Hall shortly afterwards. A full restoration is currently underway to return the organ to playing order in a $16 million effort that, as of 2023, has not been completed. The Historic Organ Restoration Committee reports that as of 2023, 95% of the Ballroom Organ is operational, and 67% of the Main Auditorium organ is operational. [7] Restoration work is ongoing to the extent that public concerts have resumed. [8]
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Wanamaker Grand Court Organ | United States | Wanamaker's (Now Macy's Center City), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| The largest pipe organ in the world, based on number of ranks and physical mass weight. It ranks second in the world based on number of pipes. [11] It is the largest fully operational musical instrument in the world, with the weight of 287 tons. This concert organ was initially constructed for the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis; it was designed by George Ashdown Audsley. The organ was purchased by John Wanamaker for his palatial Philadelphia store; disassembled, the organ filled 13 rail cars. Uniquely, the Wanamaker Organ had from the beginning full-time organ fabricators and technicians, a true "organ shop", building it to luxurious standards of quality. [12] It is played twice a day, six days a week, and there are many recordings of this organ. [13]
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St Stephen´s Cathedral Organ | Germany | St. Stephen's Cathedral Passau, Germany Eisenbarth, 1978–81 |
| With its 17,974 pipes and 233 registers, the organ in Passau’s cathedral is considered to be the largest Catholic church organ in the world and the largest organ in Europe. It ranks at the fifth place with its number of pipes. [14] | |
Auditorio Nacional (National Auditorium) | Mexico | Mexico City | Pontificia Fabbrica d'Organi Cav. Giovanni Tamburini CREMA - ITALIA |
| The largest concert hall organ in the Western hemisphere and world's 6th largest concert hall organ (2nd and 7th respectively, if the Midmer-Losh in Boardwalk Hall is included). [16] |
Newberry Memorial Organ | United States | Woolsey Hall, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut | E. M. Skinner |
| The largest fully operational concert hall organ in the US. It is the third largest fully operational concert hall organ in the world, behind Auditorio Nacional and the Sydney Opera House organ. [17] |
Barry Norris Residence | United States | Birmingham, Alabama |
| The world's largest house organ. It can be played from the console in the living room.[ citation needed ] | |
Curtis Organ | United States | Irvine Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Austin Organ Company, Op. 1416, 1926 |
| This organ was built for the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia. At the time of its installation it was the fourth largest organ in the world. The presence of the Wanamaker Organ ranked it as the second largest pipe organ in Philadelphia. For many years it was ranked as 11th largest by pipe count, but recent combining of instruments under single console control have placed it in the top 25 largest in the world by ranks or pipe count. |
Sydney Opera House Grand Organ | Australia | Sydney Opera House, Sydney |
| The largest organ with mechanical key action. [19] | |
Royal Albert Hall Organ | United Kingdom | Royal Albert Hall, London |
| Second largest pipe organ in the United Kingdom. Also known as the Voice of Jupiter. | |
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Organ | Taiwan | Fengshan District, Kaohsiung | Johannes Klais Orgelbau |
| This is the largest organ in Asia. [21] |
Sydney Town Hall Grand Organ | Australia | Sydney |
| This organ was for many years after its inception the largest in the world, and was the largest built in the nineteenth century. [23] [24] [25] It remains the world's largest organ without any electric action components and is one of only two organs with a full-length 64 ft stop (the Contra-Trombone in the pedal) (click here for a sound sample). [26] (The other being the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ.) | |
Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ | United States | Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia | Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Op. 76 |
| The largest mechanical-action concert hall organ in the US. [27] The largest pipes are made of wood and are about two feet square and 32 feet tall. The smallest pipes are the size of a slender drinking straw. Several of the larger metal pipes are placed in the organ's case to form a visual display, or façade. They are made from an alloy of highly polished tin. These pipes are arranged in a broadly curving arc, and lean outward at a four-degree angle, thereby coinciding with the architecture of the Hall's balconies. This is the first instrument ever constructed with pipes of this size mounted in this manner. [28] |
Kotzschmar Memorial Organ | United States | Portland, Maine | Austin Organ Company, 1912 |
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Budapest Palace of Art Pipe Organ | Hungary | Budapest | Mühleisen, ? |
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Davis Concert Organ | Canada | Winspear Centre, Edmonton, Alberta | Orgues Létourneau of Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec |
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Visser-Rowland Organ | United States | Performing Arts Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas |
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Country | Location | Builder | Specifications | Details |
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Czechia | Church of Saint Maurice, Olomouc | Michael Engler (1730-1745) |
| The one of the largest organs in Central Europe built by the Wrocław master Michael Engler, commissioned by the sea provost František Gregor Gianini. The instrument had originally 3 manuals, 44 registers and about 2,500 pipes. Between 1959 and 1971 the organ was substantially changed to the current size. |
Germany | Passau Cathedral Organ, Passau, Germany |
| The world's third largest church organ, is the largest organ in Europe. It is also the largest cathedral organ in the world. All the pipes of the organ can currently be played with the gallery console. [31] [ citation needed ] | |
Italy | Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) | Various |
| The largest organ in Italy and the second largest in Europe.[ citation needed ] The organs in this cathedral's history begins in 1395 (the builder was Martino de' Stremidi), and the organs were repeatedly remodeled during subsequent centuries by major Italian builders including Valvassori, Antegnati, Serassi, Tamburini, and Mascioni, as well as some non-Italians such as Bernard d'Allemagna. The golden decoration dates from the 16th century. In 1984 the pipes were reorganized into four cases (north and south) with two consoles |
Norway | Nidaros Cathedral |
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| Originally commissioned for the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Stiklestad. The organ was soon deemed too big for the cathedral, and as such moved and reduced in size several times through its history. It was in a sorry state for years before a full restoration brought it back to its former glory in 2014. [32] The casing and façade was completely rebuilt to seamlessly fit the western portion of the cathedral, and the organ got a brand new console incorporating modern digital technology. However, the new console has been modeled after the original 1930 console layout, and as many as possible of the old pipes were preserved. New pipes were only made where the original pipes had been lost. [34] In 2015 the new Choir Organ was linked together with the Steinmeyer Organ, giving the possibility of playing the combined 159 stops from the same console. However, despite these possibilities, the choir organ still retain its own console for independent use, and the cathedral administration promotes the two organs as independent and separate instruments. [35] |
Nederland | Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (Rotterdam) |
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Poland | Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń | Zych - Zakłady Organowe, 2002-07 [36] |
| This organ console is the largest in Poland. The organ has 5 Sections on 5 emporas: 81 stops Symphonic Organ, 52 stops Baroque Organ, 8 stops Spanish Organ, 8 stops Italian Positive Organ, 8 stops Baroque Positive Organ. |
South Korea | Youn Dong Presbyterian Church, Seoul |
| This is the largest church organ in Asia. It is the first organ built in Korea by Koreans in the first organ factory. The action is Electro-Pneumatic with Pitman stop action. It is sectioned into 5 Divisions. | |
United Kingdom | Liverpool Cathedral Grand Organ | Henry Willis & Sons |
| The builder also built the Royal Albert Hall Organ, the largest concert hall organ in the United Kingdom. |
United States | Cadet Chapel, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York | M. P. Möller, 1911 |
| The organ is the world's largest pipe organ located in a sacred building. The console has 874 switches for activating the stops, and the action is electro-pneumatic. The instrument is estimated to weigh over 124 tons, and is organized in 23 divisions. [40] It is continually being enlarged. This organ is played for more than 300 services each year. In the history of the Cadet Chapel there have only been four organists. There are public tours of the post and services are open to the public. The Association of Graduates sponsors a concert series free and open to the public. [41] [ citation needed ] |
Ukraine | Kharkiv Regional Philharmonic Concert Organ | Alexander Schuke |
| The Kharkiv philharmonic concert organ is the largest in Ukraine and the second largest in the territory of the former Soviet Union. |
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre, volume, and construction throughout the keyboard compass. Most organs have many ranks of pipes of differing pitch, timbre, and volume that the player can employ singly or in combination through the use of controls called stops.
Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Inc. of Boston, Massachusetts was an American builder of a large number of pipe organs from its inception as the Skinner Organ Company in 1901 until its closure in 1972. Key figures were Ernest M. Skinner (1866–1960), Arthur Hudson Marks (1875–1939), Joseph Silver Whiteford (1921-1978), and G. Donald Harrison (1889–1956). The company was formed from the merger of the Skinner Organ Company and the pipe organ division of the Aeolian Company in 1932.
The Salt Lake Assembly Hall is a building owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which sits on the southwest corner of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. It has seating capacity for an audience of approximately 1,400 people.
A theatre organ is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films from the 1900s to the 1920s.
Casavant Frères is a Canadian organ building company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building pipe organs since 1879. As of 2014, the company has produced more than 3,900 organs.
Ernest Martin Skinner was an American pipe organ builder. His electro-pneumatic switching systems advanced organ-building technology in the first part of the 20th century.
Mathias Peter Møller, commonly known as M.P. Möller or Moeller, was a prolific pipe-organ builder and businessman. A native of the Danish island of Bornholm, he emigrated to the United States in 1872 and founded the M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Company in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, in 1875. The city of Hagerstown, Maryland, took notice of Möller's early successes and induced him to move his business there in 1881 to help make it a viable business center in Western Maryland. The company remained in business in Hagerstown until 1992, with hundreds of employees at its peak and a lifetime production of over 12,000 instruments.
The Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world, based on the number of playing pipes, the number of ranks and its weight. The Wanamaker Organ is located within a spacious 7-story Grand Court at Macy's Center City and is played twice a day Monday through Saturday. The organ is featured at several special concerts held throughout the year, including events featuring the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ Festival Chorus and Brass Ensemble.
An organ recital is a concert at which music specially written for the organ is played.
Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other countries.
The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen is a Roman Catholic cathedral located Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It was completed in 1959.
Austin Organs, Inc., is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Hartford, Connecticut. The company is one of the oldest continuously-operating organ manufacturers in the United States. The first instruments were built in 1893 with the Austin Patent Airchest, and many remain in fine playing condition to this day.
St George's Cathedral is the principal Anglican church in the city of Perth, Western Australia, and the mother-church of the Anglican Diocese of Perth. It is located on St Georges Terrace in the centre of the city.
The Grand Organ situated in the Royal Albert Hall in London is the second largest pipe organ in the United Kingdom, after the Liverpool Cathedral Grand Organ.
The Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King is a Roman Catholic church in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The cathedral was consecrated on December 19, 1933. It is the seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton, and the cathedral of the Diocese of Hamilton. The cathedral contains the cathedra of the bishop, the Most Rev. Douglas Crosby. The cathedral was raised to the status of a minor basilica in February 2013 by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Salt Lake Tabernacle organ is a pipe organ located in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along with the nearby Conference Center organ, it is typically used to accompany the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and is also featured in daily noon recitals. It is one of the largest organs in the world. Jack Bethards, president and tonal director of Schoenstein & Co., describes it as an "American classic organ" and "probably one of the most perfect organs ever built."
The Schoenstein Organ at the Conference Center is a pipe organ built by Schoenstein & Co., San Francisco, California located in the Conference Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. The organ was completed in 2003. It is composed of 160 speaking stops spread over five manuals and pedals. Along with the nearby Salt Lake Tabernacle organ, it is typically used to accompany the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Schoenstein & Co.'s president and tonal director, Jack Bethards, describes it as "an American Romantic organ" that is "probably more English than anything else."
The Logan Tabernacle is a tabernacle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is located in Logan, Cache County, Utah. It is used regularly for church meetings, most often semi-annual stake conferences, seminary graduations, musical concerts, and lectures. The tabernacle welcomes visitors and is open for tours each summer from June to September. It is the site of many local celebrations, including the city's annual Summerfest Arts Faire held each June on the tabernacle grounds.
The Naval Academy Chapel Organ is located in the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. The original instrument was built in 1908 by The Hutchings-Votey Organ Company of Boston, Massachusetts. When the chapel underwent remodeling in 1940, the M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Company of Hagerstown, Maryland was contracted to build a larger instrument to support music in the newly enlarged building. Through the generous gifts of various Naval Academy classes, the organ has undergone a number of enhancements and renovations. The current instrument, comprising both pipe and digital voices, totals 268 ranks and is controlled by two consoles.
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles is located at 540 South Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles, California, United States. It is a member of the United Church of Christ. Founded in 1867, the church is the city's oldest continuous Protestant congregation. The congregation moved around using a variety of buildings until it moved to its current location in 1932, with the first service being held on March 13, 1932.
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