If Monday evenings seem like a letdown after a busy summer weekend, then why not enjoy a relaxing night under the stars at Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion? Every Monday through August 27, you can listen to world-class organists play on the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ as part of the annual International Summer Organ Festival. Concerts are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. at the 2,400-seat historic venue, which was built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
Now in its 20th year, the Festival draws renowned concert and theater organists from all over the world to play on the most unique outdoor organ in existence. Its powerful sound is created by 4,530 individual pipes that range in length from the size of a pencil to 32 feet, which are encased in an ornate vaulted structure. Among the more intriguing guest performers this summer, be sure to check out:
July 9 – Simon Gledhill, international theater and concert organist
July 23 – Olivier Latry, organist of Cathedral Notre Dame, Paris
July 30 – John Scott, organist of St. Thomas Church, New York
August 13 – Barbara Dennerlein, international jazz organist
Got yoga or Pilates on Monday nights? Then check out the free Sunday afternoon concerts at 2:00 p.m., which normally feature San Diego’s current civic organist, Carol Williams.
Visit Balboa Park for more information and a complete schedule.
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