Events

April 11, Saturday from 8:40AM to 6:30PM: r. an Organ Crawl to instruments in Mankato, sponsored by the Twin Cities and Sioux Trails Chapters of the American Guild of Organists, with visits to St. Peter Lutheran (9:45am), Bethany Lutheran College (11:00am), Bethlehem Lutheran (12:10pm), Grace Lutheran (2:30pm), and the Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel (3:45pm) with its magnificent Johnson & Son pipe organ from 1877. Any interested Twin Cities organ geeks who which to ride on the party bus, find more information and register (ASAP) at TCAGO.ORG. Mankato area residents are free to join us at any venue, and are particularly invited to converge at the Good Counsel Chapel at 3:45 for an extended visit and reception.

Saturday, April 11 at 4PM – a guest appearance by the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, led by Philip Brunelle, with organist Greg Zelek, featuring an all-French program of works by Debussy, Dupre, Boulanger, Milhaud, Messiaen, Poulend and many others utilizing the expanded 111-rank 1961 Holtkamp/2020 Pasi pipe organ at St. John’s Benedictine Abbey Church in Collegeville, MN.  Admission. 

April 12, Sunday at 3PM – representing the ‘next generation’ of classical musicians, promising young artists Agnes Barthel (organ), Anna Kim (violin), Asher Moreton (classical guitar) and Yeram Hong (soprano) present a concert at Christ Presbyterian Church (6901 Normandale Road) in Edina, MN.  Free/donation. 

April 14, Tuesday at 12:30PM – guest soloist Samuel Backman (Holy Cross RC Church, Minneapolis) continues the 2025-2026 season of Tuesday noonday concerts featuring the 57-rank 1998 Casavant pipe organ at the Church of St. Louis, King of France (506 Cedar Street) in downtown Saint Paul, MN.  Free.

April 15, Wednesday at 12:30 (following noon Mass) – guest soloist Celina Kobetitsch plays the 6th concert in the 2025-2026 Noontime Series featuring the 67-rank 2001 Lively-Fulcher pipe organ at the Catholic Church of St, Olaf (215 8th Avenue South) in Minneapolis, MN.  Free/donation. 

April 18, 10AM-11:30AM/12:30PM-2PM - the annual 2026 TCAGO Competition in Organ Performance, sponsored by the Schubert Club and TCAGO member Phil Asgian and, managed by the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, takes place at the Lutheran Church of St. Philip the Deacon (17205 County Road 6) in Plymouth, MN. Free; no admission while performers are playing.

April 18, Saturday from 10AM to 3PM – four competitors will engage in the 2026 Young Artist Competition sponsored by the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists featuring the 51-rank 2009 Schantz organ at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church (17205 County Road 6)) in Plymouth, MN. Auditors are welcome to attend but must be present and seated prior to the beginning of each competitor’s performance (at 10AM, 10:50AM, 1:45PM & 2:35PM). More details.

April 18, Saturday at 3:15PM – graduating student soloist Jeremiah Knutson presents his senior recital on the Holtkamp organ in Boe Chapel on the campus of St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN.  Free.

Sunday, April 19 at 3PM – resident organist Charles Sundquist will perform Romantic organ works by Mendelssohn, Bossi, Buck, Germani and Rheinberger on the historic 26-rank Felgemaker organ at Sacred Heart Music Center (201 W. 4th Street) in Duluth, MN.  Admission.

April 19, Sunday at 3PM – in the first concert is a series celebrating the organ’s 50th anniversary, David Cherwien will lead a Hymn Festival featuring the 36-rank 1976 Van Daalen pipe organ at Zion Lutheran Church (241 5th Avenue North) in Hopkins, MN.  Free/donation. 

April 19, Sunday at 3PM – guest soloist Thomas Hamilton (Duluth) plays the inaugural concert on the newly rebuilt (by Russel Draeger) Moeller pipe organ at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (5501 East 23rd Street) in Hibbing, MN.  Free/donation. 

April 21, Tuesday at 12:30PM – guest soloist Ju Young Lee (Christ Presbyterian Church, Edina) continues the 2025-2026 season of Tuesday noonday concerts featuring the 57-rank 1998 Casavant pipe organ at the Church of St. Louis, King of France (506 Cedar Street) in downtown Saint Paul, MN.  Free.

April 23, Thursday at 8PM – resident faculty David Jenkins plays a solo concert of works by Bach, De Grigny, Saint-Saëns, Jeanne Demessieux, Kristina Arakelyan and Jessica French on the expanded 111-rank 1961 Holtkamp/2020 Pasi pipe organ at St. John’s Benedictine Abbey Church in Collegeville, MN.  Free. 

April 25, Saturday at 9:30AM – a workshop/presentation on the music of Sigfrid Karg-Elert by Southern Methodist University professor Stefan Engels, at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church (900 Stillwater Road) in  Mahtomedi, MN.  Sponsored by the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  All are welcome/Free.  See tomorrow. 

April 26, Sunday at 2:30PM – a concert devoted to the extravagantly post-romantic music of early 20th-century genius Sigfrid Karg-Elert featuring Southern Methodist University professor Stefan Engels and the 108-rank 1927 Casavant/2001 Schantz pipe organ at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church (900 Stillwater Road) in Mahtomedi, MN.  Co-sponsored by the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  All are welcome/Free. 

April 26, Sunday at 3PM – guest soloist Samuel Backman (Church of the Holy Cross, Minneapolis) plays the 50-rank Noack organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (5250 Justin Road) outside La Crosse, WI.  Free/donation.  Come early and enjoy lunch in the Culina Mariana Café in the Visitor’s Center before the scenic walk up to the Shrine.

April 26, Sunday at 3PM – students from the Organ Studio of St. Olaf College, Northfield present a ‘benefit’ concert (to raise money in support of their study tour to France) featuring the 26-rank Schantz pipe organ at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church (301 County Road 10) in Excelsior, MN.  Donation.

April 26, Sunday at 5PM – music director Richard Gray leads a Choral Evensong with the Choir of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist, featuring the 87-stop Foley-Baker pipe organ at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mark (519 Oak Grove Street) in Minneapolis, MN.  Free/donation. 

April 28, Tuesday at 12:30PM – guest soloist Pierre Zevort (Dourdan, France) continues the 2025-2026 season of Tuesday noonday concerts featuring the 57-rank 1998 Casavant pipe organ at the Church of St. Louis, King of France (506 Cedar Street) in downtown Saint Paul, MN.  Free.

April 29, Wednesday at 7PM – Northrop organist Greg Zelek teams up with Matt Mehaffey and the University of Minnesota Singers for An Evening of Organ and Choir featuring the 108-rank Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ above the Carlson Family Stage at Northrop on the University of Minnesota main campus in Minneapolis, MN.  Admission (UofMN students free), also live-streamed. 

May 1, Friday at 7:30PM – guest soloist Isabelle Demers plays the inaugural concert on the new 55-stop Juget-Sinclair pipe organ at the Cathedral of St. Joseph (521 North Duluth Avenue) in Sioux Falls, SD.  Free/donation. 

May 2, Saturday at 7PM -resident musician Jacob Benda teams up with the University of St. Thomas Festival Orchestra (Matthew George, conducting) to perform Barber’s Toccata Festiva (version for strings, trumpet and percussion) and a solo organ arrangement of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf (narrated by Michael Barone) on a program also featuring guest pianist Michael Gurt in Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 and Piano Concerto No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich in the St.Thomas Aquinas Chapel of the University of St. Thomas (Cleveland and Ashland) in Saint Paul, MN.  Free/donation. 

May 2, Saturday at 7PM – enjoy a Polish Constitution Day celebration of five centuries of Polish sacred and instrumental music, featuring works by Jarzebski, Mielczewski, Gorczychi, Szarzynski, Dankowski, Kusz and Gorecki, performed by the Holy Cross Choir and Chamber Orchestra led by Samuel Backman at Holy Cross Catholic Church (1621 University Avenue NE) in Minneapolis, MN. Free/donation.

May 3, Sunday at 3PM – in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the organ’s installation, internationally-acclaimed guest soloist Nathan Laube (Eastman School of Music) will present a solo concert on the Duluth-built 72-rank mechanical-action pipe organ by Daniel Jaeckel at 1st Lutheran Church (1100 East Superior Street) in Duluth, MN.  Free.  Reception follows. 

May 3, Sunday at 3PM – resident organist Brice Petersen teams up with the Superior Brass for a concert featuring the 36-rank 1976 Van Daalen pipe organ at Zion Lutheran Church (241 5th Avenue North) in Hopkins, MN.  Free/donation.

May 3, Sunday at 4PM – resident organist and cantor Daniel Schwandt accompanies the Mount Olive Cantorei in a Festival Hymn Festival, Fur such a Time as This, featuring the 55-rank 1966 Schlicker pipe organ at Mount Olive Lutheran Church (3045 Chicago Avenue South) in Minneapolis, MN. Free/donation.

May 5, Tuesday at 12:30PM – guest soloist Richard Gray (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, St. Paul) continues the 2025-2026 season of Tuesday noonday concerts featuring the 57-rank 1998 Casavant pipe organ at the Church of St. Louis, King of France (506 Cedar Street) in downtown Saint Paul, MN.  Free.

May 8, Friday at 7:30PM – Gregoriana:  a program highlighting a new publication of a dozen new Gregorian chant-based works by contemporary women composers, in a concert by three women performers – Kristina Rizzotto, Diane Meredith Belcher, and Melanie Ohnstad - and the Women’s Schola of the University of St. Thomas Liturgical Choir, led by Dr. Elena Bird Zolnik, singing the ancient Gregorian melodies on which the new organ solos are based, featuring the 86-rank Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner/Quimby pipe organ in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul (239 Selby Avenue) in Saint Paul, MN.

May 12, Tuesday at 12:30PM – guest soloist Kathrine Handford (Church of Saint Mark, St. Paul) continues the 2025-2026 season of Tuesday noonday concerts featuring the 57-rank 1998 Casavant pipe organ at the Church of St. Louis, King of France (506 Cedar Street) in downtown Saint Paul, MN.  Free.

May 14, Thursday at 7PM – celebrate Ascension Day with an Ecumenical Choral Vespers service featuring choirs of St. Thomas More and St. Paul’s Reformation Lutheran Church and the Skinner-Schantz organ at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church (60 Kent Street) in Saint Paul, MN.  Free/donation. 

May 16, Saturday at 7:30PM – the Cathedral Choir, Choral Society and Orchestra, led by resident musician Raymond Johnston, present a Grand Season Finale Concert at the Cathedral Church of St. Mark (519 Oak Grove Street) in Minneapolis, MN.  Admission.

May 17, Sunday at 3PM – resident musician Scott Turkington and the Shrine Choir and Brass Ensemble present a program of music in celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, featuring the 50-rank 2008 Noack tracker-action organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (5250 Justin Road) just outside La Crosse, WI.  Free/donation.  The Culina Mariana Café in the Visitors Center is an excellent place for pre-concert lunch.

May 17, Sunday at 4:30PM – resident organist Nils Halker and choir director Mark Stahura present music by Henry Purcell and Orlando Gibbons as part of an Evensong Service featuring the 27-rank 1964 Aeolian-Skinner organ at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church (901 Portland Avenue) in Saint Paul, MN.  Free/donation. 

May 19, Tuesday at 12:30PM – guest soloist Charles Barland (University of Dubuque, IA) concludes the 2025-2026 season of Tuesday noonday concerts featuring the 57-rank 1998 Casavant pipe organ at the Church of St. Louis, King of France (506 Cedar Street) in downtown Saint Paul, MN.  Free.

May 20, Wednesday at 12:30 (following noon Mass) – guest soloist Jacob Benda plays the final concert in the 2025-2026 Noontime Series featuring the 67-rank 2001 Lively-Fulcher pipe organ at the Catholic Church of St. Olaf (215 8th Avenue South) in Minneapolis, MN.  Free/donation. 

May 31, Sunday at 10AM – resident musician Richard Gray conducts Gloria settings by Antonio Vivaldi and John Rutter, with choir, Copper Street Brass, organ and harpsichord during morning service at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church (60 Kent Street) in Saint Paul, MN.  Free/donation. 

May 31, Sunday at 3PM – resident musician Samuel Libra presents a concert of Music for  the Blessed Virgin Mary, including works by Bach and Rheinberger and the cycle Invocations by Henri Dallier, featuring the Patterson pipe organ at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (1 Lourdes Place) in Minneapolis.  Free/donation. 

June 6/7, Saturday and Sunday – the annual Bach Tage , a weekend immersion for choral singers in music of the Bach Family, led by Dr. Marin Jacobson (Valpariso University) and this year focusing on Cantata No. 45 by J. S. Bach and a Nunc Dimittis by elder cousin Johann Christoph Bach, with Saturday rehearsals and a 4PM afternoon harpsichord recital by Tami Morse, and a 4PM Sunday afternoon concert, all events at Mount Oliver Lutheran Church (3045 Chicago Avenue South) in Minneapolis, MN.

June 7, Sunday at 2PM – guest theatre organist Zach Frame (Organ Piper Pizza, Wisconsin) plays a program of Broadway, Big Bands, Beatles, and Beyond on the 16-rank 1026 Wurlitzer organ at the Phipps Center (109 Locust Street) in Hudson, WI.  Admission.  

June 7, Sunday at 3PM – guest soloist Aaron David Miller presents a celebratory 50th Anniversary concert featuring the 36-rank 1976 Van Daalen pipe organ at Zion Lutheran Church (241 5th Avenue North) in Hopkins, MN.  Free/donation.

June 14, Sunday at 3PM – prior to their group tour abroad, in a multi-choral celebration ensembles from The Meetinghouse, St. Philip the Deacon, Shepherd of the Valley and Grace Episcopal Churches and Kantorei present the premiere performance of a new work for choirs and instruments by Tom Trenny, featuring the 51-rank Schantz pipe organ at Saint Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN.  Free/donation.  

June 28, Sunday at 3PM – guest soloist Christoper Ganza (Cathedral of Saint Paul, MN) plays the 50-rank Noack organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (5250 Justin Road) outside La Crosse, WI.  Free/donation.  Come early and enjoy lunch in the Culina Mariana Café in the Visitor’s Center before the scenic walk up to the Shrine.

July 26, Sunday at 3PM – guest soloist Andrew Scanlon (Church of the advent, Boston) plays the 50-rank Noack organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (5250 Justin Road) outside La Crosse, WI.  Free/donation.  Come early and enjoy lunch in the Culina Mariana Café in the Visitor’s Center before the scenic walk up to the Shrine.

July 27, Monday at 6:30PM – as part of the St. John’s Summer Music Camp, a family-friendly event with Pizza and Pipes, featuring Matt Tylutki (chapel organist at Augustana University and Director of Youth Music at 1st Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls) exploring the sonic resources of the new Grandall & Engen/Casavant organ at St. John’s Lutheran Church (625 12th Avenue) in Howard Lake, MN.

August 16, Sunday at 3PM – resident musician Scott Turkington plays the 50-rank Noack organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (5250 Justin Road) outside La Crosse, WI.  Free/donation.  Come early and enjoy lunch in the Culina Mariana Café in the Visitor’s Center before the scenic walk up to the Shrine.

September 13, Sunday at 3PM – guest soloist Catherine Rodland (St. Olaf College, Northfield) plays the 50-rank Noack organ in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (5250 Justin Road) outside La Crosse, WI.  Free/donation.  Come early and enjoy lunch in the Culina Mariana Café in the Visitor’s Center before the scenic walk up to the Shrine.

October 29, Friday at 7:00PM – to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of their instrument, guest soloist Olivier Latry (Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris) presents a conversation/master-class for organists and music-loving auditors featuring the 67-rank 2001 Lively-Fulcher pipe organ at the Catholic Church of St. Olaf (215 8th Avenue South) in Minneapolis, MN. 

October 30, Friday at 7:00PM – to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of their instrument, guest soloist Olivier Latry (Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris) presents a solo recital featuring the 67-rank 2001 Lively-Fulcher pipe organ at the Catholic Church of St. Olaf (215 8th Avenue South) in Minneapolis, MN. 

November 1, 2026, Monday at 7PM – resident organist and composer Samuel Backman teams up with soprano Elena Bird Zolnick to premiere Through the Flames, a song cycle for soprano and organ composed by Backman and based on the lives—nay, deaths—of a series of martyrs. This performance will take place on All Saints Day at Holy Cross Catholic Church (1621 University Ave NE) in Minneapolis, MN.

April 11, 2027, Sunday at 4PM –as part of the impressive Bethlehem Music Series, Vincent Dubois, organist from Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, performs a solo concert on the 55-rank 1965 Casavant organ at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (4100 Lyndale Avenue South) in Minneapolis, MN.