Tortolano to give organ concert in Chapel on May 23

William Tortolano, professor emeritus of fine arts at Saint Michael’s College, will give his 51st concert on the Casavant organ in the College’s Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 12:15 p.m.

The two-manual, 14-stop pipe organ was installed in 1966, and is dedicated to Tortolano.

The eclectic program incorporates musical favorites of the professor and also manifests the many tonal colors of the instrument. Baroque compositions by Froberger, Buxtehude, and Pachelbel are followed by three short pieces by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Anglo-African composer.  Tortolano has written two books on the distinguished composer.

Two orchestral transcriptions from Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite and Janacek’s Sinfonietta; American folk transcriptions by Andrew Clarke, and George Shearing, and the litanies by Alain complete the program, which is being dedicated to the memory of Rev. Michael Cronogue, S.S.E.

Tortolano keeps an active schedule (at age 87) as organist and Music Director at St. Mary’s Church in St. Albans, numerous Gregorian Chant and choral workshops throughout the United States, and as a composer and editor of 75 published compositions and author of six books.  He received the Pontifical Honor, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice from Pope Benedict XVI.

The concert is free and open to the public.