Organ & Church Music

Studies in Organ & Church Music

• The organ department at St. Olaf College is one of the most active undergraduate organ departments in the country.
• Instruction in organ for music majors and non-music majors is offered in private weekly half-hour or one-hour lessons with one of two professional organ instructors. Organ students have the opportunity to perform as soloists in solo recitals, group recitals and weekly studio classes.
• St. Olaf also offers a variety of courses that prepare students for careers as practicing church musicians or in organ performance. In addition, the January term and the programs of independent study and research, and collaborative undergraduate research provide opportunities to create projects that fulfill individual needs and interest.
• Music majors may elect an interim or semester abroad; offerings include programs in Milan and Vienna specifically designed for music majors.
• Skifter Hall, adjacent to Christiansen Hall of Music, houses seven practice instruments (four mechanical, three electro-pneumatic by Dobson, Wilhelm, Holtkamp, and Schliker.) Each room has been acoustically engineered to provide a satisfying practice experience. In addition, Skifter Hall houses the Tormodsgaard-Bakken Recital Hall (commonly known as Studio A), a small hall designed especially for organ teaching, practice and recitals. Its mechanical action Dobson organ is three manuals and 42 ranks.
• Boe Memorial Chapel houses a  Holtkamp organ. The chapel serves as a laboratory for church music majors as well as a locus for organ study and performance.