CCM Organ Professor spotlights C.B. Fisk Opus 148 Organ on 'Around Cincinnati'

“Every organ is different. Every organ is unique and tells its own story; they all feel distinct and are in distinct spaces,” Unger says about the Opus 148. “There is a remarkable sensitivity with this instrument. You feel the wind in a certain way because of the wind pressure and because of the voicing — the way the pipes speak in the room. A player’s connection between action and pipe can really be felt in such a sensitive and such a beautiful way on this Fisk organ.”

The Opus 148 organ was installed in Christ Church Cathedral in April 2018. Unger was the program director of the Christ Church Cathedral’s inaugural festival for the organ, which took place in October 2018. The festivities included an international roster of artists, teachers and scholars including Francesco Cera, Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra and Naomi Gregory.

CCM Organ students learn a lot of Italian repertoire on the Opus 148, but they also work on repertoire outside of Italy and outside of the Baroque, Unger adds. One of Unger’s current students is working on a recently composed piece for organ and percussion that will eventually be performed on the Opus 148 at Christ Church Cathedral.

“It’s such a great experience that we’re really allowing students to learn to be flexible, to learn how to respond and learn how to make different music with different resources that they can access.”

“I think what’s wonderful about a town that has such variety is that we are able then to invite a variety of different artists here to share their talents and to marry the different voices of the instruments that we have — be it 19th century or this wonderful instrument that is in this chapel at Christ Church Cathedral, where we’ve been able to invite guest artists who have performed and taught already in the relatively short time that this instrument has been here,” Unger says. “It’s an exciting thing and it helps further put Cincinnati on the map in the organ world.”