IOHIO restoration

The Institute of Historic Organs of Oaxaca, Mexico (IOHIO) announces that the restoration of the 18th-century organ in Santa María de la Asunción Tlacolula, a town in the eastern Valley of Oaxaca, is currently underway. The restoration of the case and the decorated façade pipes, supervised by Oaxacan restorer Eric González Castellanos, is nearly completed. The restoration of the organ itself, directed by the Gerhard Grenzing organ building shop (El Papiol, Spain), begins in October 2013 and will be finished in mid-January 2014.

There are seven restored organs in the state of Oaxaca, but this is the first restoration project organized by the IOHIO. Over the course of 13 years IOHIO has been documenting, conserving, and analyzing the organs; playing them in concerts and providing keyboard instruction for students; and increasing awareness of the organs through lectures, publications, recordings, and festivals. IOHIO plans to present the organ during its Tenth International Organ and Early Music Festival (February 20–25, 2014).

For information and to help support the project, visit iohio.org.mx/eng/.