Organum Mechanicum, a new work for player pipe organ by composer Michael Leibowitz, receives its world premiere on Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at Glen Foerd.
The performance is free and open to the public. Advance registration is requested.
Inspired by composer Conlon Nancarrow’s Studies for Player Piano, Organum Mechanicum was conceived specifically for the machine as interpreter, embracing a level of complexity that transcends the physical limits of human performance. Created in close collaboration with organbuilder and engineer Sean O’Donnell, the work merges compositional imagination with mechanical precision.
In Organum Mechanicum, the instrument’s expressive range — from delicate interlocking mechanisms to harmonic force — is placed on full display. The work reveals the historic organ not as a relic of the past, but as a living system capable of density, architectural scale and technical exactitude impossible by hand.
Following the performance, Leibowitz and O’Donnell will lead a panel discussion exploring their collaborative process, including compositional design, mechanical constraints and the creative possibilities unlocked by merging music and engineering.
Glen Foerd is at 5001 Grant Ave.
Register by calling 215-632-5330. ••
