L’Organo, the series of twelve daily free organ recitals sponsored by the City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs as part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, achieved larger audiences in 2025. The series offered festival attendees a wide variety of instruments, mostly within walking distance.
Three venues hosted two recitals each. The English-style Kenneth Jones tracker organ at St. Michael’s Church hosted New Zealander, Juilliard-trained Eugene Lavery to begin the series on Memorial Day; David Kraft, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2025, also performed here. Gene Bedient’s very French instrument in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist showcased Thomas Russell from Columbia in the first week, followed in the second week by Eddie Zheng of Juilliard, also a member of The Diapason’s 20 under 30 Class of 2025. The American Classic Austin organ at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church hosted Thomas Heidenreich, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2021, as well as Brennan Szafron.
Three recitals went further afield; Chase Olson played the Zimmer organ at the Citadel. Recitals were presented at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church on Daniel Island, the venue for Sarah Carlson; Laura Smith, recently graduated from Baylor, showed admirable flexibility when storm damage necessitated a last-minute move to John Wesley United Methodist Church in West Ashley.
Two other weekday programs on the peninsula were presented by Aaron Patterson of Juilliard, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, and Rosalind Mohnsen, honoring one of the founders of L’Organo in the annual Ben Hutto memorial concert at the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul.
Pamela Kane of Hilton Head performed on the Zimmer instrument at historic Mother Emanuel Church, making full use of the instrument’s Gospel division. So well received was her program that she was invited back a month later to be part of the memorial service for the Mother Emanuel Nine.
L’Organo is produced by local volunteers, led for the last three years by Murray Somerville. This fall the chairmanship rotates to Yale graduate Nicholas Quardokus, canon organist and choirmaster at Grace Church Cathedral and a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2017.
For information and further details: lorganocharleston.org.
L’Organo is currently accepting applications to perform on the 2026 series of daily recitals, May 25–June 5.
For application visit www.piccolospoleto.com/lorgano
Application deadine: November 1, 2025
Application fee: $20.00
Or contact City of Charleston, Office of Cultural Affairs
