Going up the old, wooden, circular staircase, with a marine rope for a banister, I ascended to the organ loft of the 15th century church, St. Mariager – originally a Carmelite monastery and still echoing the monks’ plainsong singing of Salve Regina that would form the centerpiece of my recital there. Well, I wasn’t actually

I can remember it like it was yesterday: I was 16 years old and on an afternoon excursion with my high school friend, Betzi Robb. (Well, I think she was “Betsy” in those days.) We took a trip into Washington to visit Washington Cathedral, a favorite haunt of mine in my years growing up in

The past week has been one of extremes with respect to Paris, France and myself. A week ago I was basking in the sublime beauty of playing the music of Paris composer, Camille Saint-Saëns’, Organ Symphony with the San Francisco Symphony; and then, yesterday, the world learned the horrific news of a terrorist-led bloodbath in

Last week I had the privilege of working with renowned pianist Andras Schiff in a concert in which he played (as both soloist & accompanist) and conducted.  He conducted the Haydn Lord Nelson Mass which uses a string orchestra, trumpets, choir, and soloists.  This is an interesting piece both musically and historically; it was written

We eagerly anticipate them; and we dread them.  Reunions have the potential of stirring up old feelings of insecurity & resentment of long-forgotten cliques, but also the power to re-activate dormant friendships and stimulate new ideas.  For better and for worse, high school is a crucible, a culmination of the attitudes, behaviors, ethics, and responsibilities

I’m now in my late-50s, and the romanticism of playing music in Europe is still yet to wear thin. As a kid, I often fantasized about seeing, hearing, and (mostly) playing the great and glorious organs of Europe. True confessions: American organs have rarely held the same appeal to me – except to the extent

Gdansk will surprise you. The historic center has been re-constituted to its Renaissance appearance (so that it is somewhat reminiscent off the great city of Amsterdam) even though it witnessed complete destruction in 1945. A 40-minute train ride south takes you to Pelplin – a rather insignificant village (from a tourist’s point of view) with

I keep oscillating back and forth about whether it’s better or worse to discover the secrets of French music in conditions of extreme heat. Having just played a concert at the cathedral of Montpellier, where the outside temperature was in the upper 90s, and the temperature at the organ was in the mid-80s, I went

While it seems very obvious to anyone who performs as a musician, either professionally or as an amateur, I don’t think that everyone else is aware of the vast difference between performing and practicing. Probably at least once each month, someone expresses shock that I – having made music professionally for forty years – need

It was truly a unique opportunity. A set of symphony concerts, in the regular subscription series, opening with 14 minutes of solo organ music. I can’t think of any time I’ve heard of that happening in a major concert hall in this country. When I was asked if I was available and interested in doing

Ten weeks ago I made music in the most famous, and ancient, musical space in the Christian world:  King’s College, Cambridge.  Sitting on the organ screen, I felt humbled to realize that it was constructed in celebration of the marriage of King Henry VIII to Ann Boleyn.  Their initials are carved into the screen just

Life is about balance: work and play, arguments and lovemaking, taking in and giving back, the expansion of travel and the concentration of being at home. I try to live my life in such a way that these two poles are always in balance. As a consequence, I don’t believe that I would feel a