From Spain To Ditmas Park: Internationally Renowned Musician Loreto Aramendi To Perform At Our Lady Of Refuge On Sunday, March 15

The internationally renowned organist Loreto Aramendi is about to play in the United States for the first time – and she will be performing her incredible music on the beautifully restored pipe organ at Our Lady of Refuge Church (2020 Foster Avenue) on Sunday, March 15 at 6:30pm.

Before Loreto, who is the main organist of an 1863 pipe organ at the Santa Maria Basilica in San Sebastian, Spain, performs, we wanted to catch up with her about the upcoming concert, how she fell in love with the organ in the first place, and more.

Tell us about how you connected with Joe Vitacco, of Our Lady of Refuge? It was while you were on tour in the Basque Country?

I met Joseph Vitacco at my pipe organ in the Basque Country for a presentation I made for a group of passionate people who where discovering the main instrument of Spain. We connected instantly, as we share our love of the great pipe organ.

Have you been to Brooklyn before? Is there anything you’re hoping to do while you’re here? (Besides your concert, of course!)

I have never been to Brooklyn, or the USA either. I plan to visit (and play) other important pipe organs, like those in Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue, Grace Church on Broadway, and, of course, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

As it is my first trip to NYC, must-sees are the the MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum.

Having played all over the world, have you found that you love one organ more than another? What makes you fall in love with one instrument over another?

Each organ is like a different person with his personality, including faults and qualities. A whole character who defines himself. My work is to discover what he has to say and to tell/communicate that personality to the audience.

Each organ is a new adventure, at that point I must confess that the Cavaillé-Coll sonority it what I enjoy more. Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was a genius who introduced so much in organ building, allowing new kinds of music to be written, with new colors of sound.

Knowing the history of the renovation of Our Lady of Refuge’s pipe organ, what do you think it will be like to play it?

I think it will be a wonderful experience; I am excited.

We have been in touch and preparing this for a long time, exchanging tons of message in order to get ready and to be sure all the details will fit so that the audience will enjoy it.

Joseph Vitacco helped me a lot, giving me all previous information in order to get prepared for that experience. The work he has done for the restoration of Our Lady of Refuge’s pipe organ is amazing. It is a wonderful story of what dedication and effort between many people can create.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQfokQAgI_I

How did you become interested in the organ to begin with?

I used to go to mass with my grandmother. The pipe organ of Orio (my native village on the Basque coast) deeply impacted me by his harmony, his colors. As a promise, I told to myself that sooner or later, I would learn how to play it.

Once I finished my studies of piano and harpsichord, and being a teacher in the conservatory, I kept my promise by starting studying. I spent three years in France in order to study with Jean Boyer in the National Conservatory of Lyon – and finally dedicated myself to organ music.

Have you found there are different reactions to the organ depending on what country you are in? How does, for example, Spain differ from the United States or France when it comes to the organ?

For me, the feelings that go through music are international and reaches everybody.

With the pipe organ I must get to everybody, literally. I dedicate as much effort for the preparation, if I play in a small village of the mountains of the Basque country or my Cavaillé-Coll in the inner city of San Sebastian. People deserve the same and the best when they listen, wherever they live.

My goal is that the audience – young and old – fancy going back to the next organ concert.

For our readers who may not be familiar with organ music, can you explain why you love it? And why you’d want them to come to the concert?

Music is expression of feelings and soul. It allow me to communicate and share many things to the public.

My concert will have variety: quiet moments, dramatic ones, and passion as well. My program include great works by Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and Johannes Sebastian Bach.

We understand you’re involved in your own organ restoration work at the moment? What organ is it? And where? To prepare for this restoration, you’ve been learning organ tuning and maintenance in a French organ factory? What has that been like?

I am the main organist -titular- of an Aristide Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ built in 1863 in San Sebastian, Spain. It is situated in the choir of the Baroque basilica in the old part of the inner city.

As the organ just reached his 150th anniversary, we know that he needs a complete restoration. We are in the first phase where we are thinking about what to do. So many restorations just fail, due to an erroneous assessment about what to restore. We need to be sure about what to do, how to do it, with which organ builder. This organ is quite specific, a very well known historic organ and a state-of-the-art work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. The next step will be to raise the money; this is near in the future.

I am learning tuning and maintenance with a French organ builder specialist of the Cavaillé-Coll organ. I am just scraping the surface of the incredible knowledge; there is lots of new stuff to learn about.

It helps me to better understand my instrument – how it works and, as he often has small break down, I can now fix all the minor problems. Even if I always ask my mentor for advice before touching anything!

What is the international organ community like? Do you find yourself often connecting with people from different countries? How does that impact your music?

Music and passion are universal; it always relies on an exchange between people who share and want to share the same passion.

Do you have a favorite piece of music? Or composer?

It is a difficult question, there are so many good music around the world. I can cite Johannes Brahms, Maurice Duruflé, Franz Liszt, and Jean Sebastian Bach – and many more fantastic composers who exist.

Loreto Aramendi will perform on Sunday, March 15 at 6:30pm. The last day to purchase discounted tickets online will be Monday, March 9. Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door. To find out more about the concert and purchase tickets, go here.