Organ Recital, Aaron Hirsch “My Favorite Things” at 6500 E Girard Ave – Denver, CO

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Organ Recital

”My Favorite Things”

Aaron Hirsch, organ

Sunday, October 12 4:00pm

PROGRAM

Praeludium et Fuga in a minor, BWV 543 Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685-1750)

Short Chorale Preludes (1882-1884)

Ethel Smyth

III. Schwing dich auf zu deinem Gott (Raise yourself up to your God) (1858-1944)

Wondrous Love Margaret Vardell Sandresky (b. 1921)

Andante and Fugue in c minor Alexandra Thomson (1867-1907)

In Quiet Mood Florence B. Price (1887-1953)

Sonata No. 1 for Organ, Op. 42 Alexandre Guilmant

I. Largo e maestoso – Allegro (1837-1911)

II. Pastorale: Andante quasi Allegretto

III. Finale: Allegro assai

Aaron Hirsch is a versatile and collaborative musician who has performed extensively throughout the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and the Mountain West. Currently serving as Principal Organist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder, CO, he is passionate about presenting a more diverse selection of composers to his Boulder community. Besides regular recitals at St. John’s, Aaron is also a proponent of the creative art of improvisation, a tradition that stems from the European masters of the organ. At St. John’s Aaron is also the director of the St. John’s Music Society, a music recital series presenting a concert once a month between September and May. These events present local and national professional musicians who perform music that might not be heard outside of a conservatory or music school concert hall. The biggest difference is that the music is presented in digestible programs to help enlighten the community and connect everyone in a shared sense of humanity. All concerts are streamed and archived on the St. John’s Boulder YouTube page. For more information, please visit www.stjohnsboulder.org, and find the Music Society information on the about page.

In addition to his work as organist at St. John’s, and the director of the St. John’s Music Society, Hirsch is known as a collaborative musician. His sensitive and colorful keyboard work has assisted music studios, school ensembles, and CU Boulder students. He was also a guest harpsichordist in a 2024 American Guild of Organists event featuring works written for three and four harpichords.

Prior to his work in Boulder, Hirsch taught at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA for 6 years, offering classes in basic and graduate level conducting, directing the chamber orchestra program, and serving as vocal coach for the opera program. He was also a key collaborative musician, providing student, faculty, and guest performer accompaniment for the department. In addition, he was the Assistant Conductor of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, taught at Yakima Musica en Acción, and served various churches as organist.

Aaron holds a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting (CWU, ‘16) and a Bachelors Degree in Organ Performance (University of Minnesota, ‘13). He was a conducting fellow at the Oregon Bach Festival (‘16) and won a DAAD scholarship to conduct at the Dresden Music Masterclasses held in the fall of 2015. Furthermore, while working towards his Bachelors degree, he received a DAAD fellowship to attend the Stuttgart Hochschule für Musik for the winter semester of 2012, where he studied organ, conducting, and orchestration. Aaron is thankful to have studied with such wonderful mentors. For organ and harpsichord: Charles Luedtke, Brent Nolte, Dr. Dean Billmeyer, and Jürgen Essl. For conducting: Manny Laureano, Dr. Nikolas Caoile, and Ekkehard Klemm. For piano: Sharon Carr, Bethel Balge, and Paul Shaw.

Aaron now lives in beautiful Longmont, CO with his wife Erin Cone and their cat Ember.