Chapter Events 2023–2024
Saturday, April 27
Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza + Orgelkids
Would you like to see how a pipe organ is constructed? Would you like to get to play one? Would you like to help put one together? Join us for an exciting program for budding organists of ages!
Sunday, June 9 – NEW DATE!
Annual Meeting and Dinner
Join us for an afternoon meal, a concert, and a meeting at Trinity Episcopal Church in Branford.
Check back for upcoming chapter events!
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We welcome your feedback — feel free to contact a board member with requests, suggestions, or comments for programs!
Past Events
2023–2024
Friday, March 22, 7-9pm &
Saturday, March 23, 3-5pm
Bach in the Subways
Join us for our annual celebration of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach with two concerts featuring local performers!
Saturday, Feb. 10, 10am-noon
Workshop | Hymn introductions, interludes, and improvisation with Walden Moore
We’re excited to host another service playing workshop with Walden Moore! This session will focus on the “in-between” places in service playing, such as hymn introductions and interludes, transitions between selections, and liturgical improvisation.
Saturday, Nov. 18 at 10am
Practical Repertoire Sharing Session: Planning for February and March 2024
February is Black History Month. March is Women’s History Month. We invite you to share your favorite organ solo repertoire and/or anthems of Black and/or women composers. You may come as an observer, or a presenter. Bring a piece to share: You’ll have 10 minutes to play it and/or tell us about it.
Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:30pm
New Haven Symphony Orchestra performs Saint-Saëns’s ‘Organ Symphony’ and more
Join us at Woolsey Hall for Saint-Saëns’s vibrant and joyful “Organ” Symphony featuring Nathaniel Gumbs, Director of Chapel Music at Yale, as organ soloist. Joyce Yang will perform Tchaikovsky’s bombastic first piano concerto. Ticket purchase required, prices range from $69–$10.
Sunday, Sept. 17 at 5 p.m.
Welcome-Back Dinner and ‘Great Organ Music at Yale’ featuring James O’Donnell
Join us for a catered dinner from Eli’s ($20 fee per person) and a group outing at 7:30 p.m. to hear Yale faculty organist James O’Donnell kick off the 2023–2024 Great Organ Music at Yale Series in Woolsey Hall (500 College St.). Dinner will take place at United Church on the Green (270 Temple St.). RSVP via Eventbrite.
2022–2023
Sunday, June 4 from 3–6 p.m.
Annual Meeting and Dinner
Join us for dinner, music, and the 2023 Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 4 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Branford. We will enjoy a brief recital featuring past and present Encore Organ Scholarship winners.
Saturday, April 29, from 10 am– 12 pm.
Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza
Would you like to see how a pipe organ is constructed Would you like to get to play one? Would you like to help put one together? Join us for an exciting program for budding organists of ages!
Friday, March 31 from 7–9 p.m.
Bach in the Subways, New Haven Edition
Join us on Friday, March 31, from 7–9 p.m. at New Haven’s United Church on the Green, or via the church’s livestream, for an exciting mix of local performers sharing Bach’s amazing music.
Saturday, February 25 from 10 am – 12:30 p.m.
Hymn Playing and Liturgical Improvisation Workshop with Walden Moore
Spruce up your hymn playing and hone (or develop) your skills in hymn-based and free liturgical improvisation with master church musician Walden Moore, organist and choirmaster at New Haven’s Trinity Church on the Green, in an interactive, masterclass-style workshop.
Auditors are most welcome. If you’re interested in playing, contact New Haven AGO Sub-dean Stephen Gamboa-Diaz at gambooch@gmail.com. Free parking available within walking distance.
Trinity Church on the Green
230 Temple Street, New Haven
Monday, Jan. 16 from 9:45 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Waterbury Chapter MLK Day Organ Crawl
We are invited to join the Annual MLK Jr. Day Organ Crawl, hosted by the Waterbury Chapter. RSVP: Caesar Storlazzi will act as our local point of contact for car-pooling and a head-count for lunch: avecesare@aol.com.
Sunday, September 18 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Join us for dinner and a concert
Join us for a catered dinner at the Center Church on the Green Parish House on September 18th at 5:30 pm. Afterwards we will travel to Woolsey Hall for a concert by organist Nathaniel Gumbs. The cost for the dinner is $10 for members, $15 for non-members. The concert is from 7:30 – 8:30 and will feature works by Franck, Haywood, Hollins, Price, Rossini and Stoddart. More information about the concert can be found here.
Please click here to RSVP.
Skip the wait – pay ahead online
Center Church on the Green Parish House
311 Temple St.
New Haven, CT
2021–2022
Sunday June 5 from 3–5 p.m.
Chapter reception and Annual Meeting
Join us for a reception and the 2022 Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the parish house of New Haven’s United Church on the Green. Admission is $20 per person — RSVP via our newsletter.
Saturday, March 26 from 4–5:30 p.m.
Bach in the Subways – New Haven Edition
New Haven joined Bach in the Subways in 2018, and in 2022 the New Haven Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is excited to be returning to an in-person musical celebration!
Join us on Saturday, March 26, from 4–5:30 p.m. at New Haven’s United Church on the Green, or via the church’s livestream, for an exciting mix of local performers sharing Bach’s amazing music. Join us as an audience member or performer. Learn more.
Sunday, Feb. 20 from 6–8 p.m. on Zoom
Improvising at the organ in 17th and 18th century style, Part II
Join us for the second installment of a two-part interactive, online improvisation workshop beginning with simple counterpoint and progressing to ground bass forms and chorale preludes. Presented by organist, composer, and improviser Ethan Haman. Learn more
Sunday, Jan. 23 from 5–7 p.m. on Zoom
Improvising at the organ in 17th and 18th century style, Part I
2020–2021
Annual Dinner and Meeting
Sunday, June 6 at 4pm
Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue
New Haven, CT
Join us on Sunday, June 6 at 4pm for our annual dinner and meeting! The chapter is delighted to provide the dinner free of charge. There will unfortunately be no recital to attend, but we are grateful to have the opportunity to see each other in person. Should the weather be too cold or hot we have plenty of room indoors.
Dinner will be cafeteria-style—order what you like—and includes a ticket good for a single drink up to $10 total. You’ll be given a wristband and a ticket when you arrive.
Take a look at Bear’s menu! If you are vegetarian, we are able to provide the option of grilled portobello mushroom in addition to the Impossible Meatloaf. Please let us know of any dietary restrictions.
Virtual Bach in the Subways
March 18–21
Join in a Virtual Bach in the Subways for 2021 via our Facebook and Youtube Channels!
Submit your video performance by Sunday, March 14. Email sub-dean Stephen Gamboa-Diaz at stephen@theharpsichordist.com for submission details and questions.
Due to the pandemic, we will be celebrating Bach’s birthday and his music via Facebook and YouTube this year. The New Haven Chapter of the American Guild of Organists invites you to submit your video performance of Bach’s music to be premiered between Thursday, March 18 and Sunday, March 21 on our YouTube and Facebook channels.
A video contribution of any length is welcome! We will stitch together smaller submissions into longer presentations. We hope that this will be as community-focused an event as it has been when we’ve had in-person performances. If you’re planning to release a video on your own channel, let us know and we’ll help publicize it!
ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY SUNDAY, MARCH 14.
If you’d like to contribute, email sub-dean Stephen Gamboa-Diaz for more details.
On Demand
(Premiered Sunday, February 24 at 4pm)
Member Recital | Stephen Gamboa-Diaz, harpsichord
Livestream
Well-Tempered Clavier, Volume 1 – J. S. Bach
Preludes and Fugues in C major, C minor, C-sharp minor, and C-sharp major
This is the first in a six-part series covering the entirety of volume one, and is a fundraiser for Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services.
On Demand
(Premiered Sunday, October 11 at 3pm)
Member Recital | Jay Lindsay, organ
Livestream
Prelude and Fugue in a minor, BWV 543 – J. S. Bach
Chorale prelude on “Slane” – Healey Willan
Sonata no. 5 – Felix Mendelssohn
2019–2020
Sunday, June 7
Annual Meeting
via Zoom
Email info@newhavenago.org for more details.
Looking to join our chapter? Need to renew your membership? Visit the American Guild of Organists membership page.
Saturday, March 14
Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza
New Haven, CT
Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza
New Haven, CT
This event has been cancelled
The New Haven AGO invites young pianists, ages 8–18, to a fun day of exploring the “King of Instruments,” the pipe organ. There is no cost to attend! Learn more on our Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza page. Students need to sign up by Friday, March 13.
Sunday, November 3 at 7PM; FREE
A Farewell to the Redeemer Organ
Church of the Redeemer (185 Cold Spring Street, New Haven) Organists Thomas Murray, Nathaniel Gumbs, Walden Moore, and Eddie Zheng perform on Church of the Redeemer’s Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ to commemorate its nearly 70 years of service to The Church of the Redeemer and the New Haven Community. Contact Geoff Johnson with questions.
Sunday, Nov 10 at 2PM; Tickets required
Pipe Dreams film screening
CineMark North Haven (550 Universal Drive, North Haven). Ever wondered what it takes to compete in the most prestigious organ competition in the world? Pipe Dreams follows five young organists as they compete in the Canadian International Organ Competition in 2017. The film includes Alcee Chriss III, who recently took up the position of University Organist and Artist in Residence at Wesleyan University.