Martin Foundation Concert Organ Photo Essay

All photographs are by Bill Steber. 

The Martin Foundation Concert Organ boasts 3,568 total pipes ranging in length from 32 feet to 3/4 of an inch. Below are a series of photos representing the pipes, exhibiting their size and where they are housed in Schermerhorn Symphony Center – both behind and along the stage as well as the concert hall walls.

 

A sustained volume of wind generated by three blowers (below left) are located in the basement of Schermerhorn Symphony Center and rise through sheet metal conduits into the so-called "wind chest," located at the base of the main organ case at stage level. It's from the wind chest that the pipes are supplied with air. From the console (below right), which communicates with the organ via computer cable, organists manipulate a variety of stops (bottom two photos).

Organists can also adjust the volume by using their feet to operate expression shoes, seen below, that open or close sound-quelling louvers positioned inside the organ case.