Organ Reframed

A festival pushing the boundaries of new music and cross-collaboration for organ

Organ Reframed is the only festival of its kind in the UK. It has been commissioning innovative music, introducing new artists and attracting new audiences to this versatile instrument since 2016

Each year artists at the forefront of experimental music use a mixture of film, music and sound art to challenge preconceptions about the organ with a series of remarkable performances at Union Chapel. Organ Reframed has also travelled to Amsterdam and Moscow. Past commissions include Éliane Radigue, Low, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Philip Jeck, Phill Niblock, Mark Fell, Mira Calix, Darkstar, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Sarah Davachi.

Organ Reframed is curated by acclaimed artist Claire M Singer, known for her experimental approach to the organ she has created a unique festival at Union Chapel, home to one of the finest organs in the world.

“The idea behind the festival is to commission artists to write new music for the organ, broadening it’s current repertoire and pushing the boundaries of experimental music. It seems that most people associate the organ with church or classical music and the festival shows what a hugely versatile instrument it is. In fact in a way the organ is the world’s first synthesiser and that means it can be incorporated into many different genres of music. To have the opportunity to build on the organ’s rich history and bring it to the attention of a new generation is incredibly exciting”. - Claire M Singer

Organ Reframed 2016 Fennesz, Philip Jeck, Charles Matthews, Simon Scott and Claire M Singer | Photo by Daniela Sbrisny