A couple of months ago I wrote about the performance that the remarkable young organist Cameron Carpenter gave for the national American Guild of Organists convention.  Now he’s about to release his first CD on Telarc, “Revolutionary”, which promises to be as eclectic (electric?) and provocative as his AGO performance.  The CD is scheduled to be released on September 28 September 23 (see comment below).  In the meantime Cameron is giving several performances the end of this week (September 26 and 28) on a new Marshall and Ogletree “virtual pipe organ” at Middle Collegiate Church in New York.  (The “virtual pipe organ” is an electronic instrument in which entire ranks of pipes sampled from other organs are assembled to create a “virtual instrument.”  The first major example of this technology was the organ at Trinity Church, Wall Street, installed after the church’s pipe organ was destroyed by the effects of the 9/11 attacks.)

The programs will include “standard” repertoire (sometimes fixed up by the performer); transcriptions of orchestral works and movie scores; and several improvisations, including one honoring Olympian Michael Phelps.  (Hmm… how does one do a musical portrait of a dorky guy with a big chest and big feet?)

There’s more about the “Organ Exposé” that is the larger event surrounding Cameron’s concerts at www.organexpose.com.  The concerts are also going to be webcast at the Organ Exposé web site.