Join us this holiday weekend for a program of French and German music by Viennese organist Stefan Donner. Included are Bach’s thrilling Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, Maurice Duruflé’s beautiful Sicilienne, and another Prelude and Fugue in G minor, Marcel Dupré’s of the early 20^th c.

Our organ recital series features some of the finest organists playing one of America’s great organs. Grace Cathedral’s 7,466-pipe Aeolian-Skinner instrument, the Charles B. Alexander Memorial Organ (1934), is one of the first and finest American classic-style organs and is among the largest church organs in the West. Experiencing music in our gothic cathedral with its unique acoustics, soaring nave, and jewel-like stained glass windows is a feast for the ears, eyes, and soul.

Please note there is an admission fee for visitors on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Those wishing to attend the organ recital must register in advance to avoid paying the fee. Thank you for your understanding.

Program

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750): Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542 

Franz Schmidt (1874 – 1939): Four little Chorale Preludes (1926)
I. O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort
II. Was mein Gott will
III. O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen
IV. Nun danket alle Gott

Franz Schmidt: Prelude and Fugue in A Major 

Maurice Duruflé (1902 – 1986): Suite pour orgue, Op. 5
II.Sicilienne

Marcel Dupré (1886 – 1971): Prelude and Fugue in G minor, Op. 7, No. 3 

Listen

The Kilgen Organ Recital Series at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York: Stefan Donner 

Event Details

The concert will also be livestreamed here and on Facebook.  The cathedral will open for seating at 3:30 pm. The entrance to the cathedral is at the top of the Great Steps. The accessible entrance is via the glass doors on Taylor Street or from the cathedral garage. Masks are strongly encouraged inside the cathedral.

About the Organist

Stefan Donner earned degrees from the University of Music Vienna where he studied organ, piano, and conducting. He also received a Master’s degree in organ performance from the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Additionally, Stefan has participated in master classes and he notably received a 2014-15 Fulbright Scholarship to study organ and harpsichord at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Stefan is the recipient of various awards, including First Prize in the 2010 Franz-Schmidt- Organ Competition (Austria) and Third Prize in the 2011 Dublin International Organ Competition. Besides various radio and television recordings, Stefan has recorded CDs on the 1741 Dacci organ of St. Salvator in Vienna and on the 1862 Buckow organ in the musical instruments collection of the Vienna Museum of Technology. These albums notably document his artistic proficiency as a concert organist. Stefan has performed extensively in Europe, Turkey, Israel, the USA and Australia. In 2017 he was invited to lecture on J. S. Bach’s organ Trio Sonatas at the Władysław Żeleński Secondary School of Music in Krakow, Poland.

Donner’s previously held positions include Interim Director of Music and Organist at Klosterneuburg Abbey (near Vienna) from 2020 to 2021. Beside his busy concert schedule, Mr. Donner currently teaches piano and music theory at two schools and works as an accompanist.

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