Church Keyboard Center announces that President Nelson Dodge has joined the committee working with the Orange Catholic Foundation to raise $2 million for the restoration of the Hazel Wright Memorial Organ for the future Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.

Fundraising for the organ restoration was officially launched on May 18, 2013 at a benefit concert performed by Hector Olivera, with underwriting provided by Rodgers Instruments, Robert Tall & Associates, Ruth Charles of Charles Music, and Church Keyboard Center.

The Hazel Wright Memorial Organ at the future Christ Cathedral

The Hazel Wright Organ is an internationally famous pipe organ inaugurated at the Philip Johnson-designed 2,700+ seat Crystal Cathedral in May, 1982. With nearly 16,000 pipes, it is the largest European-built organ in America and one of the largest organs in the world. It has been featured on the internationally televised Hour of Power, making it one of the most recognizable organs in the world.

The Hazel Wright Memorial Organ was built by Fratelli Ruffatti of Padua, Italy. The organ is a combination of a 1977 Ruffatti organ installed in the Arboretum on the campus of the future Crystal Cathedral and a 1962 Aeolian-Skinner organ that was formerly at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

After three decades, time, sunlight, heat and water have caused damage to the organ, which is now in need of a total restoration.

As part of the For Christ Forever $100 million capital campaign, Orange Catholic Foundation is working to raise $2 million to:

• Refurbish the Hazel Wright Memorial organ to its original high performance condition.
• Restore the sound of the great Cathedral organ to its original character.
• Eliminate potential causes of future organ malfunctions and related maintenance costs.
• Repair the connections between the Arvella Schuller Carillon and the organ console inside the Cathedral so the 52-bell carillon can once again be played from the organ.

An “Organ Restoration Committee” led by Monsignor Arthur Holquin, pastor of the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano, has been designated to oversee the restoration of the organ. The restoration process will include removing the organ from the Cathedral, transporting the organ to the Fratelli Ruffatti workshop in Italy, restoring and reinstalling the organ in the future Christ Cathedral.  The expected completion date is prior to the dedication of Christ Cathedral in 2015.

Donations may be made online and more information is available at the For Christ Forever web site.  Gifts should be designated for “Organ Restoration”–100% of the amounts donated will support this important and historic project.

Rodgers Infinity Model 484

Church Keyboard Center will deliver three Rodgers Infinity 484 organs during Summer 2013.  The new Infinity 484, announced in April and debuted at the Rodgers dealer meeting in May, is an all-new four-manual model featuring 84 stops and a total of 442 speaking voices.

The three installations are:

• Concert Organist Residence – replacing a four-manual Rodgers Masterpiece model that is being relocated to a church.
• Azusa Pacific University, Munson Chapel – this organ will support the thriving organ program in the School of Music at the University.  This installation is pipe+digital hybrid with several ranks of pipework.
• St. Kilian Catholic Church, Mission Viejo – the new 1,200-seat church is scheduled to open in August and will feature a Rodgers Infinity 484 with main, antiphonal and trumpeteria audio systems.

Nelson Dodge, at left, accepts the 2013 Kakehashi Vision Award from Rodgers President Duane Kuhn, with National Sales Manager Richard Morales and Marketing Manager Jennifer Brandlon.

Rodgers Instruments has presented its highest dealer achievement award – the Kakehashi Vision Award – to Los Angeles-based Church Keyboard Center and its president, Mr. Nelson Dodge, during a banquet at Rodgers headquarters in Hillsboro, Oregon on Thursday, May 16.

The Kakehashi Vision Award bears the name of Roland Corporation founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, whose legendary record of innovation and determination inspired the idea of recognizing the Rodgers dealer who best embodies those qualities each year. Rodgers has been part of the Roland group of companies since 1988.

Mr. Dodge, a lifelong organist who joined the Rodgers dealer organization only in 2011, was selected based on his company’s outstanding sales achievements, customer satisfaction, merchandising, web marketing, promotional activity, institutional sales activity, and dedication to educational activities to train future organists.

“Nelson Dodge and Church Keyboard Center have shown a tremendous commitment to building on Rodgers’ strong presence in the Los Angeles market,” said Rodgers President Duane Kuhn, noting that Mr. Dodge works in close cooperation with the well-connected prior Los Angeles dealer, Dr. Robert Tall, to meet the needs of existing and new customers. “The results tell the story, with installations like the magnificent new organs at the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano and Loyola Marymount University.”