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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, September 9, 2010

Jacobs School Organ Department hosts fall Organ Conference

Events include first public performance of reinterpreted Bach composition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 9, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Kicking off the new year in style, the IU Jacobs School of Music Organ Department has teamed up with its alumni counterpart, Indiana Organists United, to host "Bach to School," a reunion conference weekend, Sept. 16-18 (Thursday-Saturday) that includes the world premiere of a new scholarly edition of J. S. Bach's monumental pedagogical work Clavier-Übung, Volume III.

The conference includes panel discussions by the editors of the new volume -- Quentin Faulkner, Wayne Leupold, George Stauffer and Christoph Wolff -- and the presentation of distinguished alumni awards to George Ritchie, David Schrader and, posthumously, to Michael Farris.

Public offerings include a lecture and premiere of the Leupold edition of Clavier-Übung III, which will be performed collaboratively on Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. by faculty and students of the organ department. Additional free public concerts during the conference include a recital by David Schrader on Sept. 16 at 8 p.m., and a Marilyn Keiser Legacy Concert on Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. performed by former students of the Jacobs School's emeritus faculty members.

"This conference signals a new era for the JSOM Organ Department, as it is the first time we have enlarged the scope of our biennial organ department alumni reunion to that of a major national conference," said Janette Fishell, chair of the organ department. "We're thrilled to have been chosen as the site for the premier of the first volume of this new scholarly edition, and the presentations by its illustrious editorial panel will be of interest to a wide range of musicians.

"It is also wonderful to honor George Ritchie, David Schrader and, posthumously, Michael Farris, with Distinguished Alumni Awards," Fishell continued. "Each of them have made significant contributions to our art and scholarship on an international level. Other contributions at the conference will be made by Steven Dieck and Nami Hamada, of C.B. Fisk, and Chris Young, as well as panel discussions by former students. We end the conference with a fitting tribute to our beloved Dr. Marilyn Keiser."

About 'Clavier-Übung III'

A collection of compositions, Clavier-Übung III is considered to be one of the most significant and extensive works for organ, containing some of J. S. Bach's musically most complex and technically demanding compositions for the instrument. The purpose of the collection was to create an ideal organ program, taking as its starting point the recitals given by Bach himself in Leipzig, that included all possible styles and idioms, both ancient and contemporary to his time.

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