The College of Music invites you to join members of the University Symphony Orchestra for a special free concert in the community at Trinity United Methodist Church on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
For their final concert of the 24-25 season, Music Director and Conductor Dr. Alexander Jiménez and members of the USO present a captivating evening of music for organ and strings, featuring special guest Dr. Iain Quinn, Professor of Organ and Coordinator of Sacred Music at the FSU College of Music.
This unique performance will showcase major works for organ and strings: Concerto in G Minor for Organ, Strings, and Timpani by French composer Francis Poulenc and Sonatas 1-3 by American composer Daniel Pinkham.
“It is a great joy to share the stage with Iain Quinn to perform these fantastic works for organ and orchestra,” said Jiménez. “One does not often get the pleasure of hearing such works in our area, and the USO is delighted to share them with our community at Trinity United Methodist Church.”
One of the composer’s most famous and cherished works, the Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was commissioned in 1934 by Princess Edmond de Polignac (Winnaretta Singer, heiress to the “Singer” sewing machine fortune) and remains a staple in the organ repertoire.
“The Poulenc Concerto is generally considered to be the most significant concerto for organ in the repertoire,” said Quinn, “and certainly the most popular. The Casavant organ at the church is especially well-suited to the repertoire,” he continued. “The Poulenc requires very specific tonal colors on the organ which only French-inspired instruments like the Casavant possess. Indeed, it’s the only instrument in the region with these specific tonal colors.”
Daniel Pinkham (1923-2006) was a celebrated composer, organist, and harpsichordist whose works have made a lasting impact on the music world. Quinn will travel to England to record these rarely performed Pinkham sonatas, the Poulenc Concerto, and Hindemith Kammermusik VII after this performance.
“The Pinkham sonatas on this program are rarely heard and quite wonderful examples of a very prolific New England composer,” said Quinn. “The combination of the instrument and working Dr. Jiménez and the USO is quite thrilling and so I greatly look forward to this concert.”
Event Details
Friday, March 21, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
Trinity United Methodist Church, Tallahassee, FL
Admission is free and open to the public
