Organ Recital at Christ Cathedral (formerly Crystal Cathedral)

Not just any organ. The Hazel Wright Organ is located inside Christ Cathedral and is the fifth largest pipe organ in the world, with more than 17,000 pipes, more than 300 stops and nearly 300 ranks. It plays from all four corners of the building, giving listeners a “surround sound” experience.

Feb. 4: Chelsea Chen in Concert

Organist and composer Chelsea Chen is internationally renowned for her concerts of “rare musicality” and “lovely lyrical grandeur,” and a compositional style that is “charming” and “irresistible” (Los Angeles Times). Ms. Chen has electrified audiences throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia in venues such as the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX, St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York City, and Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA. As a composer she is broadening the organ repertoire with her own works based on Asian folksongs. Ms. Chen has soloed with orchestras including the Wuhan Philharmonic in China, the Jakarta Simfonia in Indonesia, and the Juilliard Percussion Orchestra in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Additionally she has performed under the baton of eminent conductors including Jahja Ling, JoAnn Falletta, and Victor Yampolsky. She has championed contemporary works by esteemed composers Ola Gjeilo and Paul Desenne. The recipient of the 2009 Lili Boulanger Memorial Award, Ms. Chen is a graduate of Juilliard, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, having studied with John Weaver and Paul Jacobs. She was also a full scholarship student of Thomas Murray at Yale University, where she earned an Artist Diploma. Her playing has been aired on CNN.com, “Pipedreams” from American Public Media, Hawaii Public Radio, and Taiwan’s Good News Radio. For more information, visit https://www.chelseachen.com

May 3: Emma Whitten in Concert

Emma Whitten is an accomplished organist specializing in early Baroque and contemporary repertoire. She performs across the United States and internationally, captivating audiences and introducing the organ to new listeners. Her programs are engaging and diverse, drawing from an extensive repertoire spanning eight centuries of organ music.

Dr. Whitten serves as Associate Organist at Christ Cathedral, where she plays for major liturgies at the Cathedral and accompanies the Diocesan Choir. In celebration of the Dedication Year of the newly-restored Hazel Wright Organ, Emma is recording her debut album, “Hazel Is Back!” to be released on Gothic Records. Emma also acts as Music Coordinator at Church of the Immaculate Conception in San Diego, and she maintains a private teaching studio in Oceanside, California. In Fall 2022, Dr. Whitten joins the faculty of Concordia University Irvine as Adjunct Professor of Organ and Church Music and Interim University Organist.

Notable performance venues and festivals include the Dedication Year of the Hazel Wright Organ, the Los Angeles Presidents’ Day Organ Festival, St. Paul’s Cathedral (San Diego, CA), Catalina Organ Festival (Tucson, AZ), and Saints Simon & Jude Cathedral (Phoenix, AZ). Internationally, Emma has performed on historic organs in Germany, Spain, Colombia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Emma holds degrees in organ performance from the University of Notre Dame (2009), University of Kansas (2011), and Arizona State University (2014), where she received her D.M.A. studying with Kimberly Marshall.

May 17: David Ball in Concert

Juilliard-trained organist David Ball serves as Cathedral Organist and Head of Music Ministry at Christ Cathedral in the Diocese of Orange, California (formerly the Crystal Cathedral). David is a recognized and well-lauded young performer—The New York Times declared his appearance in Juilliard’s FOCUS! Festival “a rousing performance,” and as a winner of the AGO/Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists, David performed as a Rising Star at the 2016 National AGO Convention in Houston where he “used the organ evocatively… displayed a wide palette of colors in his artistic registration and… brought Mozart’s K. 608 to a thrilling close, earning an enthusiastic response from the audience.” (The American Organist) In recognition of his accomplishments, David was named one of The Diapason’s 2017 Class of 20 under 30, a peer-selected group of young people at the forefront of the organ field.

As Christ Cathedral Organist, David is the primary steward of a variety of instruments, principally the renowned Hazel Wright Organ. His musical contributions underpin the Cathedral’s vast array of weekly services and events–following in the footsteps of Fred Swann, David plays, conducts the choirs, and supports the parish’s diverse congregation, all from Hazel’s 5-manual console. Additionally, David’s role involves training and mentorship of the next generation of sacred musicians and organists. His current and former students have gone on to hold prominent positions and have been accepted to prestigious programs and conservatories, including The Juilliard School.

May 31: Cathedral Organ Scholars in Concert

Come hear the next generation of organists as Christ Cathedral’s own Organ Scholars take the stage and perform on the famed Hazel Wright Organ. These young organists, all students of Cathedral Organist and Head of Music Ministry David Ball, are nationally recognized for their musical achievement. Enjoy their incredible music making and celebrate that the Hazel Wright Organ is already inspiring the future of organ and sacred music!

June 20: Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale in Concert with Paul Jacobs

As the Grand Finale to the 2022 – 2023 Year of Hazel, Paul Jacobs joins the Pacific Symphony & Chorale on an special evening program including the world premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s Fiat Lux “Let There Be Light”. Leading Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan has been hailed by The New York Times as “ceaselessly inventive, evocative and penetrating.” This major commission, entitled Fiat Lux (“Let There Be Light”), utilizes a text by Dana Gioia, the internationally acclaimed poet, California poet laureate and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Carl St. Clair directs the performance, which opens with thrilling works for organ and orchestra featuring soloist Paul Jacobs, the only GRAMMY-Award-winning organist, playing the Hazel Wright Organ.