ASU Gammage Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ rings again in concert

Audiences will once again experience the ASU Gammage Aeolian-Skinner organ after a three-year hiatus on March 3 at the Arizona State University Wind Bands’ “Spring Awakenings” concert.

“We are excited that the organ will now be able to be used for future concerts,” said Jamal Duncan, associate director of Wind Bands and assistant professor of conducting in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre. “Our goal is to use the organ in more concerts now that we know it is possible.”

The ASU Gammage organ was designed to be housed in the stage’s acoustic shell, which reflects sound so musicians can hear one another while simultaneously projecting a balanced, clear tone to the audience. The Gammage shell deteriorated over time, rendering it — and, as a result, the organ — nonfunctional.

This past fall, the organ pipes were separated from the shell, which was removed, to make performances on the organ more feasible.

The organ will be featured in two pieces being performed during the March 3 concert. The Wind Symphony will perform J.S. Bach’s “Fantasia in G, BWV 572” and the ASU Wind Ensemble will perform David Biedenbender’s “Enigma.”

The ASU Gammage pipe organ, built by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, was a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Hugh W. Long and was installed in 1965.

“The Aeolian-Skinner organ represented the pinnacle of American organ building when it was installed in 1965,” said Kimberly Marshall, Patricia and Leonard Goldman Endowed Professor of Organ in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre.

In 2018, the organ was modernized and digital pedal pipes were installed through a gift from Long’s son, Hugh W. Long Jr.

“Thanks to the generous gift from Hugh Long Jr., we were able to modernize the combination system of the instrument to make it more effective in playing with orchestras, choirs and wind ensembles,” Marshall said. “The Aeolian-Skinner organ is an important musical resource for our university and the wider community.”

The ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre and ASU Gammage have launched a campaign to fund a new modular acoustic shell for the ASU Gammage stage to broaden the center's offerings and to benefit the ASU Wind Bands, Orchestras and Choirs that frequently perform there. A new collapsible orchestra shell would also enhance the versatility of the stage, allowing it to be adapted for grand opera, musical and dramatic productions, symphony and band concerts, organ recitals, chamber music, solo performances and lectures.

University officials say the project will expand performance opportunities for students and visiting artists alike while strengthening ASU Gammage’s role as a premier venue for both Broadway productions and large-scale acoustic music in the region.