The annual San Diego International Summer Organ Festival returns to Balboa Park for the 38th time with ten free concerts from July 13 through Sept. 7, featuring internationally acclaimed organists, orchestral collaborations, silent film accompaniment and classic rock performances at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
After the donation of the organ in 1915 to the city by brothers John and Adolph Spreckels, every concert has remained free and open to the public. Today, the Spreckels Organ is described by the city as the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ.
Raúl Prieto Ramírez, San Diego’s official civic organist and artistic director of the Spreckels Organ Society, oversees the festival’s programming each year.
“It’s a wonderful tool to humanize people, to bring people together gathering in Balboa Park. Everyone perceives everyone as a human being, enjoying and feeling music equally,” said Prieto Ramírez.
Of the 10 performances this year, three are returning favorites from last year and seven are new additions. The returning performances are An Organ and Orchestra Celebration, Not-So-Silent Movie Night and a classic rock concert by the Spreckels Organ Pavilion Classic Rock Band. This year’s new offerings diversify the lineup with the introduction of jazz, along with two duo performances.
“I always look for great communicators. People who are going to get that music and play it in a way that the audience is going to understand. For me, communication is key,” said Prieto Ramirez.
Here’s a look at this year’s schedule.
July 13: Organist Alcée Chriss III presents Bach, Liszt, Franck and Duruflé
Chriss III is an organist and keyboardist from Fort Worth, Texas, who brings a background in jazz. A featured artist in the 2019 PBS documentary “Pipe Dreams” and winner of the 2017 Canadian International Organ Competition, he has performed at major venues across North America and Europe. He is the university organist and artist-in-residence at Wesleyan University and serves as assistant organist at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City.
July 20: Isabelle Demers presents Holst’s ‘Jupiter,’ Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5, Bach and Mozart
Canadian-American organist Isabelle Demers has appeared at leading concert halls, cathedrals and festivals across five continents, including the 2023 BBC Proms. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School and now an associate professor of Organ at McGill University and visiting professor of organ at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
July 27: Thomas Gayner presents ‘The Carnival of the Animals,’ Indiana Jones, Aladdin and more
Thomas Gaynor is a concert organist, church musician and educator based in Philadelphia, where he serves as assistant organist and choirmaster at Saint Mark’s Church and teaches organ at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. He is a native of Wellington, New Zealand, and has performed on six continents. He is the recipient of international competition honors, including the gold medal and audience prize at the St. Albans International Organ Competition.
Aug. 3: Sunkyung Noh and Grant Smith present Organ ‘Four Hands and Four Feet’
South Korean concert organist Sunkyung Noh has established an international career with performances at venues across Europe, Asia and the United States. She plans on releasing her debut solo album in 2026.
Grant Smith is an award-winning concert organist and pianist from Fresno, California. He earned bachelor’s degrees in music and civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University and a master’s in organ performance from Rice University. He has served in church music positions in Houston and studied historical Baroque performance in Leipzig, Germany.
Aug. 10: David Higgs presents Bach, Mendelssohn, Widor, Liszt and more
David Higgs is one of the leading concert organists in the U.S. and the Minehan Family Professor of Organ at the Eastman School of Music, where he also chairs the organ department. He performs in the United States and abroad, including appearances at festivals and collaborations with leading chamber ensembles. Higgs has been a faculty member at Eastman since 1992 and has trained many of today’s prominent organists.
Aug. 17: ‘An Organ and Orchestra Celebration’
Prieto Ramírez joins conductor Alejandro Gomez Guillen, concertmaster Jeff Thayer and a 49-piece orchestra for this returning audience favorite.
Duo MusArt, formed by Raúl Prieto Ramírez and María Teresa Sierra, is among the lineup of performers at this year’s San Diego International Summer Organ Festival. (Robert E. Lang)
Aug. 24: MusArt – M. Teresa Sierra and Raúl Prieto Ramírez perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 and more
Duo MusArt is a piano–organ ensemble formed by Prieto Ramírez and concert pianist and educator María Teresa Sierra. Sierra is a Spanish-born pianist based in Southern California whose work spans solo performance, chamber music and a private studio. Together, they perform internationally as Duo MusArt, presenting programs exploring the dialogue between piano and organ through original works.
Aug. 31: Not-So-Silent Movie Night
Organist Clark Wilson will provide live musical accompaniment for Charlie Chaplin’s “The Immigrant” and Buster Keaton’s “Sherlock Jr.”
Sept. 7: The Organ Pavillion Rock Band presents the Labor Day Classic Rock Concert
The Organ Pavillion’s Rock Band, ORGAN-ISM, will close out the organ festival with songs by The Doors, Dire Straits, Tina Turner, Van Halen and more.