Cameron Carpenter Brings Down the House in Missouri
Cameron Carpenter plays a custom Rodgers four-manual Masterpiece organ at Missouri Western State University.
March 13, 2009
In an effort to attract a wider audience, the St. Joseph, Missouri chapter of the AGO decided to move their annual March "big name" concert event from the traditional liturgical setting to a more secular venue. They decided to invite brilliant young organist Cameron Carpenter to the Fine Arts Performance Center at Missouri Western State University. There was only one major problem: The auditorium had no organ.
Bill McMurray, concert chair of the chapter, contacted Rodgers and obtained the use of a custom Rodgers four-manual organ with an American Classic specification. Rodgers representative Gerald Oehring arrived from Lincoln, Nebraska to handle the temporary installation, creating a sound that Mr. Carpenter found faultless.
Notable organists such as Simon Preston and Diane Bish have presented concerts for the chapter in past years. This year's event was a landmark success for the chapter and Rodgers. With the help of substantial local newspaper and television publicity, the usual attendance increased by 40%. From the previous high of 150 attendees, the concert crowd grew to just over 250.
"Cameron's brilliant virtuosity was apparent to all as he opened with a stunning arrangement of Liszt's 'Mephisto Waltz.' He blazed through Bach and many other classical genres. The first half of the program ended with his signature 'Revolutionary Etude' in which Chopin's relentless chromatic runs are played in the pedals alone," said Rodgers Product Support Manager Roy Hanson. "The organ responded flawlessly to his needs. A delightful second half was equally well received and ended in a three movement improvisation that brought the audience instantly to its feet. Cameron's rousing encore of the 'Stars and Stripes Forever' carried the piccolo obbligato in the pedals and featured harmonic structures in the final moments that would have left John Phillip Sousa speechless. You could see the audience shaking their heads in amazement."
Senior AGO members had an "organ crawl" and audition of the custom Rodgers prior to the concert. "It was a pleasure playing such a fine instrument," wrote Mr. McMurray after the event. "If you ever need a glowing report from a 'pipe organ person,' I'll give you a good one!"
Mr Hanson noted, "In addition to his colossal talent, Cameron is a very driven young man on a mission. His mission is to change an often negative perception of the organ, organ music and organists. But above all, his goal is to bring the instrument and its glorious possibilities to the young people of today. It's a message and mission we at Rodgers are proud to support."
Rodgers is the world's largest builder of stereo imaged church organs and pipe/digital organs. Rodgers is a member of the Roland Group, headed by Roland Corporation, a world leader in electronic musical instrument technologies and electronic musical instrument sales and manufacturing.
