Designers and Craftspeople Working Towards an Unrivalled Work of Art

From the first sketch to the final voicing

At the crossroads of music, sculpture and architecture, each organ is a unique work of art combining monumentality and evanescence with the warmth of fine woods and the radiance of metals.

Numerous craftspeople who are experts in these materials oversee a complex process which, depending on the scope of the project, can last from 2,000 to nearly 40,000 hours.

All Casavant Frères organs are designed and built in our workshops. The metal is melted on site; the wood is carefully chosen to create the different parts (windchest, structure, facade, wooden pipes...); our voicers listen to the instrument so that it can display the full range of its expressiveness, from the most hushed sounds to the most brilliant chords. At each stage, our various experts maintain a constant dialogue which results in close collaboration, essential to the success of each instrument.

With an average of more than twenty years of experience, Casavant craftspeople have learned to work on instruments of all sizes, from 500 pipes to more than 10,000, and have met many challenges related to musicality, technique and architecture over time. Through a system of apprenticeship, they share their unique know-how with their young counterparts, which combines mastery of ancestral techniques and a permanent desire for innovation.

Designers and Craftspeople Working Towards an Unrivalled Work of Art | org-neufs_1.png

Work In Progress

Palm Harbor, Florida, USA

St. Alfred Episcopal Church

III-28/33

Electric Slider Action

Opus 3951

We are very pleased to announce that we have been commissioned to build a new three-manual organ (III-28/33) for St. Alfred’s Episcopal Church in Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The space is prepared already for the installation of the Great and Pedal divisions on elevated platforms at the back of the choir loft. The Swell division will be installed in the existing chamber, in close proximity to the choir. A well-developed Antiphonal will be installed above the entrance doors, thus creating a surround sound in the good acoustics of the room. The new organ will be completed in 2023.

Bucheon, South Korea

Bucheon Culture and Arts Center

IV-63/83

Mechanical action, with second moveable console

Opus 3950

The construction of the new four-manual organ (IV-63/83; with dual mechanical and electric actions) for the Bucheon Culture and Arts Center of Bucheon, South Korea, is progressing well in our workshops. The organ is tonally designed in the French Symphonic style, for use with orchestra and large choirs. The visually-striking organ façade will become the signature of the hall. The installation is scheduled for early 2023.

Holland, Michigan, USA

Hope College

II-4/4

Mechanical action

Opus 3949

At Hope College in Holland, Michigan, USA, we will complete the installation of a new Performance Organ (II-4/4). A practice instrument built with mechanical action, it allows the organist to vary independently the opening force (pluck) and the spring tension of the lower manual, to obtain a key action going from light to heavy.

Westphalia, Texas, USA

The Church of the Visitation

II-13/13

Mechanical action

Opus 3947

After a devastating fire, the Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, Texas, USA, a historic parish founded by German immigrants in the 19th century, is building a new church modeled after the original one. The new mechanical-action organ (II-13/13) we designed with a highly-decorated Gothic-style case will be installed in the fall.

Flower Mound, Texas, USA

St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church

II-35/43; prepared for IV-75/95

Electric Slider Action

Opus 3946

St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Flower Mound, Texas, USA, is completing the construction of the first phase of its awe-inspiring new church, which will be consecrated in February. As part of this magnificent project, we will install the first portion of the new French-style organ (II-35/43; prepared for IV-75/95) in the fall.

Birmingham, Michigan, USA

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

III-26/32

Electric Slider Action

Opus 3944

As part of a major construction project, we will install a new organ (III-26/32; prepared for the addition of a 13-rank Choir division) in early summer at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Birmingham, Michigan, USA.

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA

St. Dunstan’s Chapel at Christ Church Cranbrook

II-11/11

Mechanical Action

Opus 3937

This beautiful chapel was once home to an Estey organ installed in a small chamber, behind elegant carved casework.The new organ will be installed in the same chamber, and the mechanical console will be integrated into the original case.

For this project, we have the opportunity to tonally design the instrument with a meantone temperament, a first for us in a number of years.

Fitting eleven stops in this rather small chamber requires a disciplined approach to designing the instrument effectively, for optimal sound egress into the room and to making sure it is easy to tune.

Beijing, China

China Philharmonic Concert Hall

IV-61/78

Mechanical action, with second moveable console

Opus 3930

Beijing is one of the most vibrant musical capitals in the world. Recitals, concerts, operas, music education, etc., draw an ever-growing number of music aficionados. The truly spectacular new hall of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, in the sought-after district of Sanlitun, was designed by MAD Architects of international repute.

The new four-manual organ, which was visually designed after the shape of a lotus flower, will be the recognizable signature of the concert hall. The first true French Symphonic organ to be installed in the Chinese capital, this instrument will for sure become one of the favourite concert hall organs in Asia.

Macau S.A.R., China

Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady

IV-43/54

Electric Slider Action

Opus 3925

The seat of the Bishop of Macau, the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady is a historical building in the Baroque style. Designing a new organ for this magnificent space presented an interesting challenge. The main four-manual organ is installed at the back of the Sanctuary in two narrow cases framing the High Altar and stained-glass windows, with a horizontal Trompette pontificale in between the two cases.

The elaborate casework with carvings was designed and built by our craftspeople. The Antiphonal division, based on a Violonbasse 16’, is located between windows in the back gallery.

Designers and Craftspeople Working Towards an Unrivalled Work of Art

From the first sketch to the final voicing

At the crossroads of music, sculpture and architecture, each organ is a unique work of art combining monumentality and evanescence with the warmth of fine woods and the radiance of metals.

From the first sketch to the final voicing

Work In Progress

Bucheon Arts Center, Bucheon, South Korea

Casavant Frères, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC

The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

Orchestra Symphonique de Montréal, Montréal, QC

Designers and Craftspeople Working Towards an Unrivalled Work of Art

From the first sketch to the final voicingAt the crossroads of music, sculpture and architecture, each organ is a unique work of art combining monumentality and evanescence with the warmth of fine woods and the radiance of metals.

From the first sketch to the final voicing

Work In Progress

Bucheon Arts Center, Bucheon, South Korea

Casavant Frères, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC

The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

Orchestra Symphonique de Montréal, Montréal, QC

From the first sketch to the final voicing

At the crossroads of music, sculpture and architecture, each organ is a unique work of art combining monumentality and evanescence with the warmth of fine woods and the radiance of metals.