Monthly programs for 2025 – 2026

Here is the lineup of AGO meetings for this season, 2025-2026. Our meetings take place at various venues throughout the area and are typically the third Monday evening of the month although there are exceptions.

Monday, September 22, 2025

Service of Installation

Holy Family Catholic Church
425 South State Street
Sparta, MI 49345

Monday, October 13, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

Ezequiel Menéndez Organ Recital

Mayflower Congregational Church
2345 Robinson Rd. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Ezequiel Menéndez performed an organ recital at Mayflower Congregational Church.  The program was co-sponsored by the chapter in conjunction with Mondays at Mayflower, an outreach ministry that offers music by local and international artists playing sacred and classical repertoire.  The five-manual, 93-rank organ was originally installed by the Tellers Organ Company in 1968 and rebuilt by the Lauck Organ Company in 1998.

Dr. Menéndez has been a faculty member of College of the Holy Cross since 2018, following 26 years as the Director of Music for the Archdiocese of Hartford and the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford Connecticut. He has presented recitals throughout the Americas and Europe, including programs for AGO Regional and National Conventions.

The recital featured a noteworthy group of three significant passacaglias by Handel, Rheinberger, and Reger.  In addition, Dr. Menéndez acknowledged his Argentinian roots by including a Toccata by Alberto Ginistera.  He also performed two Tangos by Astor Piazzolla, which he transcribed for organ and described as a fusion of traditional, jazz and classical elements.

Monday, October 20, 2025,  7:00 p.m.

Annamae Rotman Young Organists Competition

Calvin Church
700 Ethel Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

The 10th annual Annamae Rotman Young Organist Competition was held at Calvin Church this year. Established in 2013 by Dr. Richard Rotman in honor of his mother, the competition is open to area contestants under 24 years of age. Literature is at the discretion of the performer and includes 7 minutes of selections by Baroque composers and 7 minutes of music from other periods.  Each participant also plays a hymn that is sung by the audience. The organ at the church is a 3-manual, 50-rank Æolian-Skinner built in 1957 and updated by Quimby Pipe Organs in 2009. Dr. Gregory Crowell, Matthew Jakubisin, and Dr. Norene Walters were the judges for the event.

The $1500 first prize winner was Noah Smith, a University of Oklahoma graduate who recently joined the music staff at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids. The second prize of $1000 was awarded to Anna O’Neill, a student of Rhonda Edgington at Aquinas College. Rebecca Voogt, a high school student of Dr. Darlene Kuperus, received the $500 third prize.

We extend our congratulations to these accomplished performers and wish them well in their future endeavors, and we thank Dr. Rotman for his continuing support of this event.

Sunday, November 2, 2025,  3:00 p.m.

Vincent Dubois Organ Recital

East Church UCC
1005 Giddings Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

East Congregational Church’s Alan Gruizenga Endowment Fund for Classical Music with a contribution from the Grand Rapids Chapter of AGO presented Vincent Dubois, titular organist of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris in recital and his presentation to the AGO chapter the following evening. Both events had a remarkable attendance. It was a great pleasure to see so many people at the events. Many of the non-organist visitors who had attended the recital also came to the Monday GRAGO meeting. Dubois’ program consisted largely of French composers, except for Bach’s BWV 544 and a transcription of Sergei Rachmaninoff. As it was the 70th Anniversary of the installation of East Church’s Chartres windows, Dubois ended the program with an extended and amazing Improvisation on the great Gospel Window over the altar. He led us through the scenes which the window depicts using colorful and unusual registrations and harmonies. Dubois repeated this improvisation at the GRAGO meeting and explained the details of how and why he chose registers on the instrument and generally how one improvises using music to depict the brilliant colors of the glass. He also made remarks and showed slides of the fire and restoration at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

Monday, November 3, 2025,  7:00 p.m.

Vincent Dubois Presentation

East Church UCC
1005 Giddings Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Vincent Dubois, titular organist at Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris spoke to the Grand Rapids AGO chapter about the process of developing an improvisation and demonstrated by improvising on the image of the Gospel window in the Sanctuary of East Church. He also presented visuals of the fire and subsequent restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025, 7:30 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Concert

Todd Wilson

Central Reformed Church
10 College Avenue N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Todd Wilson performed an organ recital at Central Reformed Church on the five-manual, 81-rank organ.  The instrument was originally installed in 1957 by the Schantz Organ Company.  In 1982, it was rebuilt by Robert Dial in conjunction with Leslie Peart, who was then Central’s Director of Music Ministries.  The church has presented an annual New Year’s Eve program ever since the completion of the rebuild.  For the first such concert, Mr. Dial and Mr. Peart were joined by area organist Phillip Pratt to play an all-Liszt program – the Fantasy and Fugue on Ad nos, ad salutarem undam, the Variations on  Weinen, Klagen, Sorgan, Sagen, and the Prelude and Fugue on BACH.

Mr. Wilson serves as head of the Organ Department at The Cleveland Institute of Music and is considered one of today’s finest organ virtuosos.  He began his program with settings of In Dulci Jubilo by Karg-Elert, Bach and Dupré, and in his cordial opening remarks he congratulated the audience on venturing out on a blustery, winter evening.  The masterworks of Bach, Dupré and Widor that ensued were first described with gracious, detailed commentary and then brilliantly and elegantly performed.  Mr. Wilson adeptly led the audience in singing Auld Lang Syne to conclude the program.

The Grand Rapids Chapter appreciates the opportunity to support area churches in the presentation of the exceptional recitals that are a part of our programming.

Monday, February 2, 2026

Social Event for Grand Rapids Chapter AGO

Our February program is a social event which will include a visit to a new residence organ built by 
Wahl Organbuilders of Appleton, Wisconsin.: Two Manuals and Pedal; Nine stops.

Wahl 2025 Organ Specification (9 stops/3 couplers) 

Manual l               Manual II

8 Fugara               8 Gedakt 
8 Rohrflute           4 Lieblich Flute
4 Prestant             3 Treble Nasat (from middle C)
2 Flautino

ll-l Manual Coupler

Pedal

16 Subbass
8 Bass Flute

l-P Pedal Coupler
ll-P Pedal Coupler

Notes:

58-note manual compass
30-note pedal compass
Flat and parallel pedalboard
Lights for music rack and pedalboard
Adjustable bench

. 

Sunday, March 1, 2026, 4:00 p.m.

First Presbyterian Church
508 Franklin Street
Grand Haven, MI 49417

Young Artist Recital: Chanmi Kim

Chanmi Kim, originally from South Korea, studied piano, psychology, and child development during her undergraduate years. She was first introduced to the pipe organ in college and was deeply captivated by its wide range of tone, colors and expressive potential. This led her to begin private lessons and later pursue formal studies in the United States.

 She recently completed her Master of Music in Church Music with an organ concentration at Baylor University, studying under Dr. Jens Korndörfer. During her time at Baylor, she served as organist at both St. Peter’s Catholic Student Center and Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. In 2024, she won the Semper Pro Musica Organ Competition at Baylor and had the honor of performing at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

 Beginning this fall, Chanmi will pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Sacred Music at the University of Michigan. She is also looking forward to joining the worship and music ministry of the community at St. John’s Church in Detroit, where she will serve as Organ Scholar.

Monday, May 4, 2026, 7:30 p.m.

Calvin University Chapel
1835 Knollcrest Circle, SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Organ Recital:  André Knevel

Organist André Knevel, of Ontario, Canada will present a recital based on the Psalms with sponsorship from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in conjunction with the university’s 150th anniversary.