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Alumnus to deliver haunting organ performance

By Mara Fink '11
October 20, 2008

This Friday promises to be a night of ghoulish proportions as organist John Schwandt '94 returns to St. Olaf Oct. 24 to accompany the 1929 silent movie version of the Phantom of the Opera at 10:30 p.m. in Boe Chapel. The performance will be streamed live and archived online.

SchwandtJohn'94
Schwandt
The program includes "Overture: Toccata and Fugue in D minor," a composition attributed to J.S. Bach that is perhaps the most famous organ piece of all time. Schwandt will also improvise in the traditional silent movie organist accompanist style, which includes basing his improvisation off character themes.

Schwandt, an associate professor of organ and director for the American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma, is a nationally acclaimed performer and is in demand as a clinician, recitalist, leader of hymn festivals, silent film accompanist, and as an organ consultant.

The Phantom of the Opera is a story about a deformed phantom who lives in the basement of the Paris Opera House. The phantom threatens the new opera owners into putting the woman he falls in love with, Christine Daae, in the spotlight. The Phantom of the Opera has been noted by some critics as one of the top 10 films of all time, and has led to five remakes, countless knock-offs, and the famed Andrew Lloyd Weber musical.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.