Norwegian Organ Festival

We celebrate 400 years of the organ in Stavanger Cathedral! Stavanger Cathedral received its first organ from the Netherlands, built by Albert Kiespenning in 1622. Since then, organ tones have been heard in our city. We finally get to celebrate this in a reopened and newly restored church. The three cathedral organists, along with Pieter Dirksen from the Netherlands, will perform music on both small and large instruments. The main organ from the Dutch firm Reil from 1992 will play a central role, but we will also hear the choir organ by British Mander Organ Builders and the small Klop organ. Together with historian Gunnar Roaldkvam, they will connect the cathedral's 400-year-long organ history with a repertoire inspired by English, Dutch, and German influences. This will be a festive evening with many organ gems, reflecting the cathedral's organ history. A highlight of the program will be the premiere of our commissioned work, Toccata by Nils Henrik Asheim.