On Friday, February 21, 2020, at 7:30 p.m., Music at the Red Door will present a performance by Simon Johnson, Organist and Assistant Music Director at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, U.K. The concert, which is the only New England stop on the organist's American tour, continues the series of celebrity organ recitals that feature the renowned Austin pipe organ at St John's Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Avenue (near Prospect), in West Hartford. Simon Johnson is one of the most versatile musicians of his generation, successfully combining life as a virtuoso organist with extensive work in choral direction, composition, and arrangement. As the Organist and Assistant Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral, he has been involved in all the national occasions that have taken place there since his appointment in 2008, including the funeral service of Baroness Thatcher, the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, and Her Majesty's 90th Birthday celebrations, for which he also arranged some of the music. Recitals have taken him all over Europe and the USA, and he has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Sixteen, and worked with Wes Anderson on the Oscar-, BAFTA-, and Grammy-award-winning soundtrack for The Grand Budapest Hotel. “We are delighted that Simon Johnson was able to include a visit to St. John's on his 2020 American concert tour,” said Scott Lamlein, Artistic Director of Music at the Red Door and Director of Music and Organist for St. John's. “The marvelous pipe organ at St John's, built by Hartford-based Austin Organs, is remarkably versatile in its range of color and sonic power, and Simon's program promises to provide a thrilling concert experience.” The February 21 program includes music of varying styles by English, Dutch, and French composers. The program opens with the technically demanding, Baroque-styled Fantasia and Fugue in G major by C. Hubert H. Parry (English, 1848-1918). A lighter mood prevails in the Five Short Pieces of Percy Whitlock (English, 1903-1946), whose experience as a theatre organist in a seaside resort infuses these vignettes with “engaging stylistic diversity.” (Hyperion) The brief chorale-prelude Nun ruhen alle wälder, composed in 2011 by Jacques van Oortmerssen (Dutch, 1950-2015) is modeled on Bach's chorale-preludes, and offers a subtle meditation on an old chorale tune. The program concludes with the Symphony No. 3 in F-sharp minor by French composer Louis Vierne (1870-1937), who for 37 years was the principal organist at the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. An “organ symphony” is so-called because it employs the symphonic process of thematic development and, more importantly, draws on the extraordinary variety of tones available in a pipe organ to imitate orchestral tonal color and volume. The pipe organ at St. John's Episcopal Church, known as Austin's Opus 2761, resounds with 51 stops, 64 ranks, and 3,721 pipes. Since its installation in 1995, this remarkable instrument has been featured often in concerts and recitals, providing opportunities to share with the greater community the beauty and triumph of organ music. Each year, Music at the Red Door presents dozens of musical and cultural events, including celebrity organ recitals and the Pipes Alive! organ series; choral and chamber music concerts; guest choirs and ensembles; and special events such as the annual Lessons and Carols service and an annual choral concert, Choral Music for the Soul. Visit reddoormusic.org for event details and more information. The concert is free, with donations accepted; the suggested donation$20, with checks payable to Music at the Red Door. A reception will follow in Hubbard Hall. IF YOU GO: What: Celebrity organ concert by Simon Johnson, organist and assistant director of music at St Paul's Cathedral in London When: Friday, February 21, 2020, 7:30 p.m. A reception follows in Hubbard Hall. Where: St John's Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Avenue (near Prospect), West Hartford Accessible: Yes Admission: Free admission, no tickets required. Suggested donation: $20. Checks payable to Music at the Red Door. Arrive early to get a good seat! More Info: https://www.reddoormusic.org/event/simon-johnson-organist/ or concerts@reddoormusic.org