Despite growing up in a non-musical family in a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania, organist Paul Jacobs became a prodigy, and at 15 years old was appointed head organist of a parish of 3,500 in his hometown.
“I was fortunate to have excellent musical training and mentors during those formative years. I remain indebted to my first piano and organ teachers, who remain dear friends,” Paul says.
Youthful Approach To Organ Musical
Paul has a knack for making an impact on the classical music genre, in particular for the organ. He made musical history at the age of 23 when he played Bach’s complete organ works in an 18-hour marathon performance in Pittsburgh on the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death. Prior to this, he performed these works over the course of 14 consecutive nights, both in Philadelphia and New York City.
He also is the only organist ever to have won a Grammy Award (bestowed in 2011 for Messiaen’s Livre du Saint-Sacrément).
He also became one of the youngest faculty appointees in the history of The Juilliard School when he joined the faculty in 2003 and was named chairman of the organ department in 2004. He also is the Director of Oregon Bach Festival’s Organ Institute, a position he assumed in the summer of 2014.
However, Paul couldn’t do all of this without dedication and hard work, putting his craft front and center in his life.
“Daily practice must always remain central to one’s life as a musician. The many hours one spends each day with music are usually pleasurable, not burdensome,” Paul says.
Bach, Mozart, And Vierne’s Organ Symphony No. 6
This past season has been a monumental one for Paul. He offered many solo performances throughout the United States and abroad, and continues to perform with many prominent orchestras, which is unusual for an organist.
He performed the world premiere of John Harbison’s What Do We Make of Bach? for organ and orchestra with the Minnesota Orchestra under conductor Osmo Vänskä in October 2018. He recently toured Europe with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and continued his long-standing collaboration with the Cleveland Orchestra during the American premiere of Austrian composer Bernd Richard Deutsch’s Okeanos in March.
While in Switzerland in November, he recorded Samuel Barber’s Toccata Festiva with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and conductor James Gaffigan, which will be released in the coming months. He also is preparing three American organ concerti to be recorded with Giancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony.
“It has always been a personal commitment to carry the magnificence of the organ to a wider audience, beyond the narrow confines of the organ world,” Paul says. “I believe that any music-lover can be deeply moved—even transformed—by great organ music. We are fortunate, too, as organists, to have such a vast and rich repertoire to celebrate.”
As an encore to years of sold-out OBF performances, Paul returns to Eugene to perform Bach, Mozart, and Ives on Monday, July 8. He is also eager to share the sixth and final Organ Symphony of Louis Vierne, the famed French organist of Notre Dame Cathedral, during this performance.
“His music, inspired by the great Gothic edifice, is deeply personal, bursting with emotion. Considering the recent tragedy in Paris, it seems especially fitting to experience Vierne’s masterful Organ Symphony, which captures, in sound, the profound beauty of Notre Dame,” Paul says.
Outdoor Adventures
While visiting Oregon, performing isn’t the only thing Paul will be doing. He is fond of spending time outdoors, being in nature and taking long walks in mountains, woods, and fields. What better way to embrace the music around him than in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.
“Living in New York City certainly provides tremendous cultural stimulation, but my spirit often craves encounters in a more bucolic setting,” Paul says. “Fortunately, there is ample opportunity to experience this in Oregon.”
Learn more about Paul Jacobs.
Explore more enchanting concerts at OBF 2019.