From the Vieux Carré to Versailles
Echoes of the French Organ
Seignouret-Brulatour Building
520 Royal Street, 3rd Floor
Free admission, registration required
Seating is very limited
HNOC is excited to present a rare solo recital featuring visiting scholar and organist Dr. Joyce Wei-Jo Chen, who will perform on HNOC’s restored Aeolian residence organ located in the Barbara S. Beckman Music Room at 520 Royal Street. Dr. Chen will perform works by French composers—including François Couperin, Louis Vierne, and others—that showcase the capabilities of this mechanical musical marvel.
Admission is free with registration required. Seating is very limited, with some standing room available for walk-up attendees.
About the Organ
In the early 20th century, having a player organ in the home was a luxury reserved for the most opulent residences, allowing the owner to have access to recorded music before radios and phonographs were commonplace. Tobacco magnate William Ratcliffe Irby remodeled the property at 520 Royal Street—now part of HNOC’s Seignouret-Brulatour Building—to serve as his personal residence starting in 1918. In the process he installed a player organ in the entry room to his lavish third-floor apartment. The instrument, built by the Aeolian Company of New York, is one of only a handful that has survived to this day in its original location and in working condition, after a meticulous restoration by the Holtkamp Organ Company.
Featured Artist
Dr. Joyce Wei-Jo Chen
Organist
Dr. Joyce Wei-Jo Chen
A native of Taiwan, Dr. Joyce Wei-Jo Chen 陳瑋若 is assistant professor of historical keyboards at the University of Oregon. She is also a PhD candidate in the department of music (historical musicology) and the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities at Princeton University. Under the guidance of Wendy Heller, Dr. Chen is currently finishing her dissertation, “Musica Experientia/Experimentum: Embodied Acoustics and Keyboard Knowledge in Europe, China, and America, 1600–Present,” which explores the intersection between science, music, and aesthetics involving instrument-making, sensory experience, and the development of acoustical theory.
Dr. Chen holds a doctor of musical arts in harpsichord performance from Stony Brook University and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Outside academia, Dr. Chen is a dedicated church musician with over 15 years of experience. As an organist specializing in the baroque repertoire, Dr. Chen recently received the Colleague certification from the American Guild of Organists. Since August 2024, she has been serving as music director at St. Mary Catholic Church in Mount Angel, Oregon.
Related Programs
Aeolian Organ Demonstrations
Tuesday–Sunday
11–11:30 a.m. and 3–3:30 p.m.
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