Gail Archer presents Dobrich: A Bulgarian Odyssey (Meyer Media) and announces a national concert tour September 2025–May 2026.
Gail Archer announces the release of her 11th album: Dobrich: A Bulgarian Odyssey (Meyer Media 04.11.25). Archer continues her sonic journey of Eastern European composers with rarely performed works by seven Bulgarian composers of the 20th century. During her worldwide tour in summer 2024, Archer recorded Dobrich in the concert hall in Dobrich, Bulgaria, on a 1979 Schuke organ of 36 stops and two manuals. Archer celebrates her new album on a nationwide tour of Bulgarian concerts from September 2026–May 2026 (scroll down for complete schedule).
Dobrich is the fourth installment of Archer’s collection of contemporary organ music from Eastern Europe: Cantius of Poland (2022), Chernivsti of Ukraine (2020), and A Russian Journey: Music of the Russian Five of Russia (2017).
This collection features nine works written from 1972 to present day.
Erendira (1990), by Sabin Levi (b. 1970)
Es kommet ein Schiff, geladen, and O Heiland, reis die Himmel auf, by Velislav Zaimov (b. 1951)
Victimae paschali laudes, by Neva Krysteva (b. 1946)
Two Frescoes, by Evgeny Cheshmedjievb (1930-2009)
Evharistia and Variations on the song “Polegnala e Tudora,” by Radosveta Hurkova (b. 1965)
Prelude for Organ, by Bozhivar Abrashev (1936-2006)
Prelude and Toccata, by Kiril Lambov’s (1955-2019)
Gail Archer is an international concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer who draws attention to composer anniversaries or musical themes with her annual recital series in New York City. These include a Bulgarian Celebration, a Slavic Celebration, Max Reger, The Muse’s Voice, An American Idyll, Liszt, Bach, Mendelssohn and Messiaen. Archer was the first American woman to play the complete works of Olivier Messiaen for the centennial of the composer’s birth in 2008: Time Out New York recognized the Messiaen cycle as “Best of 2008” in classical music and opera. In spring 2024, Archer received grants from the Harriman Institute, Columbia University and Vassar College to record a new CD of Bulgarian organ literature in the Concert Hall in Dobrich, Bulgaria; the CD, Dobrich A Bulgarian Odyssey was released on April 8, 2025. Her previous recordings include the 2022 Polish release, Cantius, and Chernivtsi, A Russian Journey, The Muse’s Voice, Franz Liszt: A Hungarian Rhapsody, Bach: The Transcendent Genius, an American Idyll, A Mystic in the Making (Meyer Media), and The Orpheus of Amsterdam: Sweelinck and his Pupils (CALA Records). Ms. Archer’s 2025 European tour took her to the Slovak Republic, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Italy and the island of Sardegna. Highlights include the Oliwa Cathedral, Gdansk, Poland, St. Martin’s Cathedral, Bratislava, the Slovak Republic, the Lambertus Basilica, Dusseldorf, Germany, Herforder Munster, Herford, Germany, the Basilica Concattedrale of San Maurizio, Imperia, Italy, and the Basilika Steinfeld, Steinfeld, Germany. The historic organ in the Steinfeld monastery church was built in 1727 by Balthasar Konig.
She is the founder of Musforum, www.musforum.org an international network for women organists to promote and affirm their work. Ms. Archer is college organist at Vassar College, director of the music program at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she conducts the Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers and a faculty member of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. For the next two years, she will serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the East Central European Center in the Harriman Institute. She is artistic director of the artist and young artist organ recital series at historic Central Synagogue, New York City.
Gail Archer in concert:
September 1, Welcome concert, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 7:30 pm
September 6, Memphis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Workshop on Eastern European Organ Literature 10 am
September 8, Memphis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Russian/Ukrainian program, Idlewild Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN, 7:30 pm
September 14, Round Lake Auditorium, Round Lake, NY 4 pm
September 21, University Church, Buffalo, NY 4 pm
October 3, Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, PA 7 pm
October 5, Cathedral of St. Peter and St Paul, Lewiston, ME 3 pm
October 12, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Phoenixville, PA 4 pm
November 2, St. John’s Episcopal Church, West Hartford, CT 12:30 pm
November 9, King’s Way United Methodist Church, Springfield, MO 3 pm
December 7, Lessons and Carols, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 7 pm
December 13, Holiday choral concert, Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers, St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University 7:30 pm
January 9-16, 2026 Artist Residency: Mount Angel Abbey, Portland, Oregon
January 11, 3 pm, Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity by Olivier Messiaen, Mount Angel Abbey, Portland, Oregon
January 16, Mystic in the Making: Exploring Messiaen's organ literature 6:30 pm, Mount Angel Abbey, Portland, Oregon
January 18, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 4 pm
February 7, Ascension Lutheran Church, Green Bay, WI 6 pm
February 15, Church, of St. Mary, Island of Palma Majorca, Spain 9 pm
March 1, Saint Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, IN 3 pm
March 8, First Congregational Church, Camden, ME 4 pm
March 13, First Presbyterian Church, Muncie, Indiana 4 pm. Sponsored in cooperation with Ball State University Music Department.
March 14, Lecture on the organ works of Olivier Messiaen, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 10 am
March 15, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, CO 3 pm
April 9, A Program of Women Composers, St. Paul’s Chapel, Columbia, University, NY 7 pm
April 12, Faculty recital: A Program of Women Composers, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 3 pm
April 18, Spring concert, Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers, St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University 7:30 pm
May 3, St. Luke Episcopal Church, San Antonio, TX 3 pm
June 20, Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, CA 3 pm. Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity by Olivier Messiaen.
For information: http://www.gailarcher.com/
Other upcoming events:
Toledo, Ohio, Catholic Cathedral concerts
British Institute of Organ Studies 2026 conference
