This weekend the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra is presenting organist Cameron Carpenter in two performances of the Poulenc “Concerto for Organ, Timpani & Strings” and the Saint-Säens “Symphony No. 3 ‘Organ.'” To my knowledge, it is the first time ever that the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra (or its predecessor, The Honolulu Symphony) has ever contracted an organist as a guest artist.

Years ago the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists inquired about Mr. Carpenter’s availability and fee with the idea of possibly performing in Hawaii and the Executive Board unanimously decided his fee was out of reach for our small chapter.

So now the Symphony is paying his fee — and our AGO chapter is not on the hook! However, the famous International Touring Organ is not coming with Cameron, as it would take “an entire Matson container to ship it to Hawaii.”

As soon as I found out that Carpenter was coming to appear with the Symphony, we sent out a questionnaire to our members about sitting together as a block. The result is that there will be about 30 of our members at Sunday’s concert. That’s more than half of our membership!

In May I wrote to his management inquiring about the possibility of Cameron Carpenter meeting with our local organists, and got a polite reply that they would pass on the message. So far I had not heard back, but tonight Connie Uejio, the symphony harpist and a Hawaii AGO member, relayed the message that Cameron Carpenter wanted to meet with the Hawaii AGO after the concert! So we will meet him backstage after the Sunday concert.

https://youtu.be/ejqK-jqgWOc

On Cameron Carpenter’s website you can read this: Cameron Carpenter is having a ball smashing the stereotypes of organists and organ music – all the while generating worldwide acclaim and controversy. His repertoire – from the complete works of J. S. Bach to film scores, his original works and hundreds of transcriptions and arrangements – is probably the most diverse of any organist.

On Wikipedia, you can read this: Carpenter has been both criticized by some and praised by others for his unorthodox interpretations of the standard organ repertoire. Registrations rarely follow those suggested by the composer, and Carpenter often takes dramatic liberties in articulation. Carpenter is also noted for his advocacy of the digital organ, particularly development of a touring electronic organ, citing factors such as the obstacles the pipe organ imposes on the ability of a traveling performer to enjoy an ongoing relationship with a single instrument in the same manner as many other instrumentalists. Despite this, he frequently performs on pipe organs, often garnering major exposure for the instrument.

He is definitely NOT your typical church organist, and while he gets a lot of criticism about his unorthodox playing and registrations, what cannot be denied is his stunning technique and virtuosity.

For his February 2013 concert, the Japan Times wrote “Grotesque organist hits town” and described him: Organist Cameron Carpenter, known for his wild performances and appearance, plays the organ like no one else — hitting the keys with frantic energy and a rockstar-like attitude… Carpenter’s unusual performance style has been described by The Guardian as “grotesque,” though some would call his music miraculous.

I heard Cameron Carpenter in person years ago in Minneapolis at a national organists convention; he opened with Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and about 50 people walked out either during the piece or right afterwards! We stayed, though, mesmerized by his fabulous technique and virtuosity.

In today’s Star Advertiser, Steven Mark wrote: “In the often highfalutin world of classical music, organist Cameron Carpenter has acquired a reputation as not only a prodigious virtuoso, but also as a rebel, a pioneer, an iconoclast, a genius, a punk-rocking show boat, perhaps even a bit of a mad scientist. It’s actually even more complicated than that.”

He went on to write that Carpenter thinks that “the organ is an instrument which makes almost a parody of the amount of sacrifice required to be a musician,” pointing out that organists usually don’t own their own instruments and are often employed at the whim of the churches who do.

So he may be a maverick and unorthodox — but perhaps he is winning over more converts to the organ. And that’s a good thing.

Today a friend shared this video with me from the Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo, Hertford, U.K., with its appeal for a church organist. They don’t want to resort to kazoos—which may be the dire consequences if there are not enough organists!