SNC:AGO RECITALISTS

Felix Hell: October 24, 2008

The 23-year-old German organ virtuoso Felix Hell is a phenomenon in several ways. Hailed as "most well-known young concert organist worldwide" (Dr. John Weaver), and "undoubtedly one of the major talents of the century" (Dr. Frederick Swann, AGO president), he "sets standards that many established and honored older players would struggle to equaI'' (Michael Barone in "The American Organist").

A liturgical and performing organist since the age of eight, he has given more than 550 recitals to date: in his native Germany, as well as in Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Korea, Latvia, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Russia, and the USA, where he performed more than 400 recitals in 44 states. Orchestra concerts have included appearances with the Charleston (SC) Symphony Orchestra, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada under Boris Brott, the New England Conservatory Philharmony, the Kalamazoo (MI) Symphony, the McGill Chamber Orchestra, Montreal, the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra, and the Deutsche

Streicherphilharmonie. His debut performance in the famous Boston Symphony Hall took place on November 2004.

In addition to his full concert, workshop and master class schedule on both sides of the Atlantic, Felix Hell holds the positions of Organ Artist Associate of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan, New York City, Distinguished Organist in Residence to the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, PA. He is on faculty of Gettysburg College's Sunderman Conservatory of Music as organ instructor.

Felix Hell was born on September 14, 1985, in Frankenthal/Pfalz, Germany. He took his first piano lesson at the age of seven, and began organ study after his eighth birthday. On Easter 1994, still eight years old, he performed in his first service as a liturgical organist. Also in 1994, he participated in the German competition for young musicians "Jugend musiziert,” and was awarded with two First Prizes in organ playing, followed by First Prizes in 1996 (piano solo ), 1997 (organ solo) and 1999 (piano solo ).

After two years of private lessons, Felix Hell pursued his organ studies at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Heidelberg. In September 1999 he enrolled at The Juilliard School, New York, where he was awarded a merit-based full tuition scholarship. In September 2001 Felix Hell was admitted at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with Dr. John Weaver and Alan Morrison. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in May 2004 at the age of 18. Felix Hell pursued his graduate studies, under the guidance of Donald Sutherland, at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, where he received the prestigious Artist Diploma in May 2007, and the Master of Music degree in May 2008.

Additional coaching he received in courses and/or private lessons with Professors Martin Lücker, Pieter van Dijk, Oleg Yantchenko, Wolfgang Rübsam, Leo Krämer, Franz Lehrndorfer, Martin Jean, Marie-Claire Alain, Joan Lippincott and Dame Gillian Weir.

Visit the Artist’s website, CLICK HERE

PROGRAM

Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

"Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele," BWV 654: J.S. Bach

Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 65: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)

Allegro moderato e serioso
Andante. Recitative
Allegro assai vivace

Toccata for Organ "Schlafes Bruder" (1994): Enjott Schneider (b. 1950)

Choral No. 3 in A Minor: César Franck (1822-1890)

Scherzo, Op. 2: Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)

Präludiüm und Fuge uber B-A-C-H: Franz Liszt (1811-1886)