Interview

Stephen rehearsing at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Catching up with Stephen Tharp Reflections ten years later

By Joyce Johnson Robinson Stephen Tharp at Victoria Hall, Geneva, in 2014 (photo credit: Christophe Renaud)

n interview with Stephen Tharp in La Verna, Tuscany (some of which is outside the box would take a book. But was as a student when, at age 20, I spent A appeared a decade ago in The Dia- up on YouTube). This is the place, on connect all the dots over time and it’s the three weeks at the Haarlem Interna- pason (“A conversation with Stephen top of a mountain and a 90-minute drive richest and most diverse menu of experi- tional Organ Academy as the result of a Tharp: Catching up with a well-traveled from Florence, where Francis of Assisi ences I could ever have imagined. And as generous scholarship from Illinois Col- recitalist,” January 2004). At that time, spent his later years on land that was an American, it is seeing the forest from lege. That experience was life-changing Tharp’s discography included six record- bequeathed to him. It is a picturesque outside the trees, in spades, and that has in that it turned my thinking upside ings, and he had made over twenty spot surrounded by forests untouched determined a great deal for me. down and, consequently, permanently intercontinental tours. Among the topics for some 900 years; in the center is a re-directed the way I would conceive discussed were Tharp’s many concert basilica where there is a regular sum- You’ve also been busy with record- performance as it is informed by music tours, his advocacy of new music, and mer festival of organ concerts catering ings. Would you summarize these, history and aesthetics, standards that interest in transcriptions. In the decade to an immense tourist crowd that packs and tell us about your experiences remain in place to this day. I can’t fully since, Tharp has continued his travels the house for recitals starting at 9 p.m. making them? express how thankful I am that this was and performances, and received many (when the temperature cools down This is a discussion of but a few of an experience I had at a young age, when accolades. He presently resides in New enough for a full church to be tolerable). my projects. Ultimately, audio and these influences had the chance to be York City, where he serves as associate A small group of friends and colleagues video recordings are one’s most power- the most powerful. director of music at the Church of Our celebrated afterwards with a private ful tools. How one can spread the word On this side of the pond is the first Saviour. Stephen Tharp will be the fea- meal that included regional wines. on Facebook, iTunes, or YouTube puts commercial recording of the Casavant tured performer at the closing recital What is awesome for the organ in global exposure at your fingertips, which organ Opus 3837 at the Brick Presbyte- of 2014’s American Guild of central European culture is that festivals is wonderful. Listening as a child to LPs rian Church in Manhattan. This instru- national convention in Boston. like this, well attended, grow on trees. of many organs, I often fantasized about ment, a cooperative design between In Germany alone, you could hit a series getting to these instruments one day, director of music Keith Tóth and Jean- Joyce Robinson: Our previous every weekend for two years without either to perform on them or record Louis Coignet, is a masterpiece. A syn- interview’s title called you a “well- repeating yourself—funding in place, them myself. One of my greatest bat- thesis between the French symphonic traveled recitalist,” and that seems quite often new organs, and audiences tery chargers, the kind that continues and American orchestral, the organ cov- truer than ever today. Tell us about that support its continuation. There to inspire in the long term, has been ers music from Jongen to Tournemire to your concert tours (and how you seems something about Old World cul- recording a number of these landmark Hakim to Guilmant, in a warm acoustic keep track of all those recitals!). ture that’s founded in the deepest roots, instruments, both for JAV Recordings environment. There is also my Organ My grandfather, who was director of centuries of traditions under them, that and the Aeolus label in Germany. Classics from Saint Patrick Cathedral personnel management at Blue Cross/ maintains a thriving life no matter what The first opportunity like this was St. in New York City—all somewhat lighter Blue Shield in Chicago for some 40-plus the come-and-go cultural shifts of any Sulpice, , where I recorded in Octo- fare, some organ solo, some organ plus years, and also a lecturer at both North- given generation—a kind of condensed ber 2001, a somewhat nervous traveler trumpet, aside from a few heftier pieces western University and University of richness around which you can build an given the horrific events of September by Cook, Vierne, and Widor. It was a Chicago post-World War II, was a real entire life. 11 the month before—and amplified by great pleasure to have been able to make business model for me. He was the As for my own tours, 1,400 concerts a flight over to Paris on a plane that was these two recordings. ultimate paper hoarder, keeping track of means too many to name. Standouts mostly empty. In 2005 I was back in St. All of my commercial CD releases all of his correspondence, lectures, and include the Gewandhaus, Leipzig; the Sulpice for two more projects. A large from St. Sulpice thus far are on JAV, and so forth, throughout his life. For better Igreja de Lapa in Porto, Portugal; Vic- choir, comprising several groups, was all engineered by the outstanding Chris- or worse, he taught me to keep a paper toria Hall, Geneva; the Frauenkirche, assembled to record the Widor Mass, op. toph Frommen, who also owns the Aeo- record of everything I’d accomplished. Dresden (which was only recently recon- 36, for choir and two organs (main and lus label in Germany. It was with From- Of course, I let go of a great deal with structed); the inaugural organ week of choir organ), which was never before men, and for Aeolus, that I embarked time, but, as far as concert programs go, the new Seifert organ at the Cathedral recorded in St. Sulpice. With Daniel upon my biggest recording project to I have saved one copy of everything I in Speyer, Germany, with its 14-second Roth at the grand orgue, Mark Dwyer date: The Complete Organ Works of have ever played. Consequently, after acoustic—a whole new character for and I played musical benches with Jeanne Demessieux. I had played much 1,400 concerts, I am glad I can look back, Alain’s Trois Danses; Ben van Oosten’s the orgue de choeur in the front of the of her music starting as early as my trace them, and keep track—like keep- glorious festival in ; twice church. In the two days that followed college years, but to document all of ing a diary. My 1300th solo recital was at at the Berlin Cathedral, with another that project, I had the great pleasure of her organ solo works on recording was St. Laurenskerk in Rotterdam, on their concert set for summer 2015; Cologne recording Dupré’s Le Chemin de la Croix an exciting and challenging prospect. very large Marcussen organ, in Novem- Cathedral (with its 5,000 regular con- there. Dupré recorded this years before Too many stereotypes were also float- ber 2008. A few days later, in St. Mar- certgoers during the summer Orgelfeier- in St. Sulpice on LP, which went out of ing around about this music: that it was tin, Dudelange, Luxembourg, was the stunden, encouraged to bring their own print. So, my recording is the only one a language worth little more than an concert that coincided with my Jeanne lawn chairs if necessary and seat them- available of this entire work on the organ extension of Dupré’s harmonic idiom, Demessieux Complete Organ Works CD selves in the aisles, which they do, going most associated with the composer. more cerebral than communicative, and set (Aeolus Recordings) “release party,” wild over a program of Guillou, Alain, In the summer/early fall of 2008 I not worth the effort. I sought to prove where the recording was officially made Dupré, and Litaize); the summer festival made two more recordings for JAV this very wrong. available to the public for the first time. at St. Bavo, Haarlem (there are no words within a month of each other, which At the time of the recording, several It remains my largest recording project for the experience of playing this organ); were released at different times. One pieces remained unpublished, and to date, which I will discuss more a little playing the de Grigny Messe on the Dom is my organ adaptation of J. S. Bach’s so Chris Frommen and I sought cop- later. The recording led directly to a Bedos at Ste. Croix in Bordeaux, and so Goldberg Variations on Paul Fritts’s ies of these in manuscript form from series of three concerts in October 2010 on. In addition to that, my one and only stunning magnum opus instrument at Pierre Labric, one of Demessieux’s at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine action-packed trip without jetlag adjust- St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Columbus, Ohio, more famous students, who generously in New York City, wherein I played the ment, over six days, for concerts in St. and the other a mixed repertoire record- shared the scores with us for this proj- complete organ works of Demessieux. Petersburg, Moscow, and Riga. Twice ing on the Christian Müller organ of St. ect. These are, specifically, Nativité, On July 30, 2013, I performed my to Hong Kong, twice to Korea, twice to Bavo, Haarlem, the . My Andante, and the Répons (the one for 1400th solo concert, for the organ festival Australia. Every memorable moment first experience with this famous organ Easter being the only score from the set

20 n THE DIAPASON n JUNE 2014 WWW.THEDIAPASON.COM Lena and Stephen Tharp in Dudelange, Luxembourg, November 2008

At the grave of , Montpar- Stephen at the Fisk organ of the Meyer- At the basilica of Waldsassen, Germany, June 2012 (photo credit: Silvia Gmeiner) nasse, Paris son Center, Dallas, September 2010 previously published), now printed by Delatour in . We needed an electric-action organ for certain pieces, most importantly the treacherous Six Études, so some of the recording was done on the Stahlhuth/ Jann instrument at the Church of St. Martin, Dudelange, Luxembourg, an organ of great color and strength. For the remainder of the release, we chose the great Cavaillé-Coll organ at St. Ouen, Rouen, France, an instrument closely associated with Demessieux’s life. This is such a splendid oeuvre that was too long overlooked. If you don’t know With Marie-Pierre Cochereau and Lena Tharp in Paris With Simon Preston and Christoph Keller in Trier, Germany the music, investigate it. It is with Aeolus that I will release my dismissal at the conclusion of the Mass, You have received several awards in 40s). The other is the Preis der deutschen next recording, the Symphonies 5 and and the Easter sequence Victimae Pas- recent years. Tell us about those. Schallplattenkritik, Germany’s highest 6 of Louis Vierne. Symphonies 1–4 are chali Laudes. The piece is dedicated to There are two particular awards about critic’s award for recordings, which I now available with , and my the Cologne Cathedral Winfried which I feel especially honored. One received for The Complete Organ Works release will complete the set, hopefully Bönig, and is published in a collection of is the 2011 International Performer of of Jeanne Demessieux release on Aeolus. later this year. All were recorded again organ music specifically written for the the Year award from the New York City Imagine some 140 judges looking at an at St. Sulpice. Cologne Cathedral organ called Cologne chapter of the American Guild of Organ- assortment of releases and ripping apart One additional recording must be Fanfares. It is published by Butz ists, the only award of its kind specifically everything from sound quality to perfor- mentioned, as it appears as a single track Musikverlag of Bonn. There is a JAV for organists from any professional music mance to graphic design to music notes on iTunes and is not part of any CD. YouTube video of me playing the work guild in the United States. It is a recog- scholarship. This is the prize. The recipi- In September 2010, as a part of one at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, nition of long-standing accomplishment ents are chosen under great scrutiny, of Michael Barone’s Pipedreams Live! made a few years ago. whose list of recipients is truly global, more so than voted for (and there is a big concerts, I played the world premiere My only other fairly recent solo organ and I tie with Dame Gillian Weir for the difference). It is, for me subjectively, the of a work I’d commissioned for the work was occasion-specific, my Disney’s youngest in the award’s history (received, ultimate compliment. Other recipients occasion from George Baker, Varia- Trumpets, written for the organ at the respectively, at the same age in our early at that time include the Philadelphia tions on ‘Rouen.’ It is also composed in Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, where memory of Jehan Alain, and so there I premiered it in concert in March 2011. are harmonic and motivic nods in that It is a short, agitato fanfare designed to direction, very much on purpose. That highlight the various powerful reed stops first performance was played at the of this particular instrument, heard both Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas; my separately by division and, at times, alto- recording of the piece, made as well at gether. I kept the unique visual design of St. Sulpice, is what is available on iTunes. the façade in mind. In musical terms, this There is also a YouTube concert video of is reflected in short riffs, which appear my live performance of it at the St. Louis rapidly, flinging gestures into many Cathedral Basilica in Missouri from the directions at will. And as with the organ’s summer of 2013. façade, which appears random to the eye amidst an underlying cohesive structure, You are also a composer and so is true in this work, where an overall arranger, creating both transcrip- architecture gives proportion to what tions and original compositions. Are seems irregular. As an added layer of any of these published? Do you have tongue-and-cheek, I used as the model any plans for future works? for the riffs a motive from a song by David I have only one published organ work, Bowie, of all things. (I don’t remember my Easter Fanfares, composed in 2006 as the name anymore.) I have only played the result of a commission from Cologne Disney’s Trumpets that one time. Cathedral in Germany. Two new high- I also have an ongoing list of organ pressure en chamade Tuba ranks had transcriptions, which I’m getting to been added to the instrument at the west little by little. Those are premiered here end of the cathedral, which they wanted and there from time to time; Chopin, to play for the first time at Easter in 2006. Dukas, Stravinsky, Bartók, Mussorgsky, My work was composed to be the post- Liszt. I have also toured quite a bit with lude for that occasion. It is structured, David Briggs’s colorful transcription of at surface level, like an improvised sortie Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and two rather with the architecture of a written com- demanding organ adaptations by a gifted position, with all melodic and motivic Italian colleague, Eugenio Fagiani, material throughout derived from only namely J. S. Bach’s Brandenburg Con- two sources: Ite Missa est, Alleluia, the certo No. 3 and Ravel’s La Valse.

WWW.THEDIAPASON.COM THE DIAPASON n JUNE 2014 n 21 Interview

Orchestra, Marc-André Hamelin, and Cecilia Bartoli.

Beyond your solo career, you have also worked as a church musician. Are you presently doing so? In September 2013 I was offered the position of associate director of music and organist at the Church of Our Sav- iour (Roman Catholic) in Manhattan by the newly appointed music director and organist, Paul Murray, a long-time friend With George Baker in Dallas and colleague in the city with whom I have collaborated on many previous high standards of choral singing—we occasions. Ironically, it was in this very have an all-professional choir—use of church that my wife Lena and I had chant, a rich palette of choral and organ our son Adrian (born January 5, 2013) repertoire, and no-nonsense liturgical baptized. This music program embodies organ improvisation, something I was not

Discography • Mendelssohn: Organ Sonatas Nos. 1–6, Op. 65: The Casavant organ at St. Clement’s At Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Ange- Recording at St. Bavo, Haarlem, Nether- Church, Chicago, Illinois (Naxos Recordings 8.553583, 1996) les, 2011 lands, September 2007 (photo credit: Chris- toph Frommen) • Legendary Organ Works, Volume 1: The organ at Girard College, Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania (Ethereal Recordings 108, 1997) doing in New York City since my days at The most important thing for me to • World Premieres and Transcriptions, Volume 1: The organ at St. Mary the Virgin, New St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The mission state- remember is why I have always done York City (Ethereal Recordings 104, 1998) ment of the church has been beautifully what I do, as that unshakably justifies • Music for Keyboard Instruments by Allen Brings: The organ at LeFrak Hall, the Aaron summarized by Mr. Murray as follows: how I must continue. It is critical for me Copland School of Music, Queens, New York (Capstone Records 8679) to remember that I was never media- In the Constitution on the Sacred Lit- constructed at a young age. In fact, that • Stephen Tharp at Trumbull: The organ at St. Theresa’s Church, Trumbull, Connecticut urgy of the Second Vatican Council, it was made clear that the Church’s musical approach in this country during my 20s, (Ethereal Recordings 123, 1999) heritage, namely chant and polyphony, under management, completely failed. • Stephen Tharp, Debut in Europe: The new Seifert organ at the Church of St. John at the was to be preserved. At the Church of Our I have, however, taken decades to build Saviour in New York City, it is my goal to Latin Gate, Troisdorf-Sieglar, Germany (Organum Classics 210126, 2001) build a liturgical music program that is in where I am, and am one who is given the respect on a global platform that I • Stephen Tharp at St. Sulpice, Paris (JAV Recordings 130, 2002) concurrence with the admonition of the Second Vatican Council, by developing a probably sought above all else. It’s an • The Art of the Symphonic Organist, Volume 2: Stephen Tharp plays the 1921 Skinner professional music program offering music Old School approach to achievement— of the highest caliber to the Greater Glory Organ, The Parish Church of Saint Luke, Evanston, Illinois (JAV Recordings 138, 2004) of God. and it stems from the kind of teaching I had—the kind that leaves you a library of • Dupré: The Stations of the Cross, Opus 29—organ at St. Sulpice, Paris, France (JAV Paul and I have a great rapport as pro- references, not just a membership, and Recordings 161, 2005) fessional colleagues, devoid of the drama that you don’t accomplish overnight. It • Stephen Tharp plays the Anderson Organ: Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of that all too often accompanies working must be earned. New York, Casavant Frères Op. 3837 (JAV Recordings 160, 2007) relationships. In this regard, I’ve struck This all underscores one aspect of my • Hymns Old and New—at Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Toledo, Ohio, gold. The church is also very supportive musical life that has become even more Skinner Opus 820 (JAV Recordings 162) of my travels. Everything about this pronounced. I consider myself a very position is a match, the kind one hopes serious artist, not an entertainer, one • Jeanne Demessieux Complete Organ Works—organs of St. Ouen, Rouen, France and to find but rarely does. It is a special cen- who believes that an audience knows the St. Martin, Dudelange, Luxembourg (Aeolus Recordings 10561) tering for me that provides a constant in difference between putting before them • Stephen Tharp plays St. Bavo, Haarlem—organ of the Grote Kerk of St. Bavo, Haar- my artistic life as other things continue a substantial product and just celebrity. lem, the Netherlands (JAV Recordings 178, 2009) in different directions. If what you speak reaches people pro- I must also make mention of post- foundly, they remember not only you • Goldberg Variations: Johann Sebastian Bach—Fritts organ, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Easter April 2008, when I was asked to be as the vehicle but the statement, the Columbus, Ohio (JAV Recordings 172, 2011) the official organist for the New York City music itself, and musical memories that • Organ Classics from Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City—with John Lambert, visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. matter. You see, this is what will actually trumpet (JAV Recordings 185, 2010) I was contacted by the current director of save our instrument. Popularity alone is music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Jennifer not enough. Actually moving an audi- • Benefit Recital for Our Lady of Refuge (Brooklyn) Organ Restoration—live concert Pascual, who was in charge of music for ence is vital, as this instigates a curiosity recorded at Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights, New York (JAV Recordings 5163) all events for the Pope’s visit. The organist for more, which has direct impact on • George Baker: Variations on the hymn-tune “Rouen”—organ at St. Sulpice, Paris, at the cathedral had been taken ill, and literacy, not merely fascination. It is not France (iTunes, 2012) I was asked to cover all televised events possible to produce book after book with- from St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church out addressing the literacy of your read- • Regina Immaculata: Music in Honor of the Immaculate Conception—Maurice Duruflé: in Yorkville (in Manhattan), St. Patrick’s ers and then claim you have “saved the Messe ‘Cum jubilo’—Seminary Choir of the Pontifical North American College, Vati- can City, Christopher Berry, conductor (JAV Recordings 181, 2009) Cathedral, and, yes, Yankee Stadium, book.” There is a big difference between which took place outdoors. I was struck selling an audience tickets and keeping • The Widor Mass, Op. 36: The Grand 19th-Century St. Sulpice Tradition—with Choeur primarily with how this church leader them there. That said, every teacher has Darius Milhaud, Ensemble Dodecamen, Christopher Hyde and Camille Haedt- in his 80s, not some young pop star, to make decisions: one cannot build rock- Goussu, conductors; Daniel Roth (Grand Orgue); Stephen Tharp (Orgue du Choeur); captivated these massive gatherings with ets by continuing to play with blocks. And Mark Dwyer (Orgue du Choeur) (JAV Recordings 158, 2005) an energy that was palpable. Music for if nobody curates the collection, what will • Joseph Gelineau: Psalms of David—The Cathedral Singers, Richard Proulx, conductor; each of the three occasions was different, all of the newly schooled have to hear Stephen Tharp, organ; recorded at St. Luke’s Church, Evanston, Illinois (GIA Publica- involving soloists, choirs, and instrumen- beyond Concerts 101? tions, Chicago) tal ensembles, rehearsals for all of which It is no great secret that I have a mostly occurred in under two weeks. It was quite European career. My own passion for the • Missa Campanella—Choirs of the Cathedral of St. John, Albuquerque, New Mexico, moving to be in the center of the energy lineage of such long-rooted, historically Maxine Thévenot, conductor and organ; Stephen Tharp, organ (Raven OAR-926, 2010) that radiated from these huge events. And aware and layered culture seems to be • The Immortal Air: Anthems & Canticles—Choirs of the Cathedral of St. John, Albu- my days at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the a marriage with the demand for it from querque, New Mexico, Maxine Thévenot, conductor and organ; Stephen Tharp, organ; mid-1990s had prepared me for live tele- the large (and multi-aged) audiences Edmund Connolly, organ (Raven OAR-954) vision, which is always exhilarating. that continue to want programs of real • Mystic Meaning: Music for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany—Choirs of the Cathe- meat and substance. I feel that I am dral of St. John, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Maxine Thévenot, conductor/organist; What are your thoughts about the most inspired engaging an environment Stephen Tharp, organ; Edmund Connolly, organ (Raven OAR-955) future? wherein, no matter what other global- Becoming the father of a little boy ization invades, the baby isn’t simply Links to purchasing information for the above recordings can be found at www. who is now 1-1/2 years old has become discarded with the bathwater. This will TheDiapason.com. the ultimate filter. My shifts in priorities continue as my direction for the future, have been herculean, in a way that a regardless of what else happens. It’s taken Radio programs ® parent understands. I am very sensitive me years to evolve to this point, but this • Stephen Tharp, 2011 Organist of the Year, Pipedreams 1145 (pipedreams.publicradio. to the passage of time one doesn’t see article documents part of the journey. ■ org/listings/2011/1145) again, so there is this intolerance for the • Even Stephen, Pipedreams® 0545 (pipedreams.publicradio.org/listings/2005/0545) irrelevant, the counter-productive and Joyce Johnson Robinson is editorial the trivial. director of The Diapason.

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