In June 2018 FREO organized a series of three lunchtime concerts on the 1868 Henry Erben pipe organ. The instrument is in need of conservation and restoration, so it is not a concert-ready instrument. However, enough… Read More
Friends of the Erben Organ
A Community for Music and the Arts
CNY: Our Lady of China Statue Underscores Old Cathedral’s Welcome
On January 7, 2018, Auxiliary Bishop John O’Hara, a member of the Friends of the Erben Organ Advisory Council, celebrated a Mass at which he blessed a beautiful statue of Our Lady of China. The music… Read More
Join Martin Scorsese on His 75th Birthday in Supporting the Friends of the Erben Organ
FREO is thrilled to have Martin Scorsese’s support in our effort to preserve and restore the 1868 Erben pipe organ! See his quote and our press release below. To donate: https://erbenorgan.org/donate-for-martin/ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 17, 2017… Read More
NY Times: An Organ Master Who’s Part Musician, Part Mechanic
The huge pipe organ in St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, at Prince and Mott Streets in NoLIta, is in startlingly original condition, though a bit worse for 150 years of wear. Jared Lamenzo is so accustomed to showing off this monstrous marvel of an instrument that he can discuss it even while using all four of his limbs to bang out a Bach fugue or Buxtehude toccata.
Erben Organ and Jared Lamenzo featured in The New York Times profile
Basilica Organist and Music Director Jared Lamenzo and the historic 1868 Henry Erben organ have been featured in the May 2017 story “An Organ Master Who’s Part Musician, Part Mechanic” by Corey Kilgannon, with photos by… Read More
First Annual San Gennaro Organ Recital
Some zeppoli or cannoli with your Frescobaldi? The Friends of the Erben Organ presented its first annual San Gennaro Organ Recital on September 15, 2017 to accompany the 91st annual Feast of San Gennaro. Kevin Birch,… Read More
Sistine Choir Tours Erben Organ
The Sistine Chapel Choir, known as the Pope’s choir, visited the United States for the first time in 30 years in September 2017; as part of its historic concert tour, the choir visited the Basilica and the Erben organ.
Catholic New York: At Music Camp at Old St. Patrick’s, Children Learn About Historic Pipe Organ
At the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in Lower Manhattan, Polina Maller, 11, took a few moments from her violin lesson to talk about her appreciation for music.
CBS News: The fight to save New York’s historic Erben Organ
Today, the Erben Organ is the only large, mid-19th-century pipe organ left in America that’s intact in its original acoustic space. Lamenzo explains it is one of the most important historic instruments in the nation.