Organ Masterclass with Eric Plutz

Presented in partnership with the San Diego Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Princeton University Organist Eric Plutz works with talented local high-school organists in a public masterclass on the Rosales/Parsons organ. Rather than presenting a finished performance, the event opens the teaching process to the audience. Listeners hear young musicians play, receive focused guidance, test new approaches, and discover how decisions about rhythm, articulation, registration, phrasing, and musical architecture can reshape a piece. His performance career has taken him to prominent venues across the United States and abroad, and his broadcasts and recordings have introduced his work to listeners well beyond the concert hall. For the participating students, the afternoon offers sustained attention from an experienced performer and teacher on an instrument of exceptional range. For the audience, it reveals the craft that ordinarily remains behind the finished recital. A passage may be reconsidered from the standpoint of tempo, touch, voicing, breath, proportion, or the acoustic of the room. A change of registration can clarify a musical line; a different gesture can alter an entire phrase. Because the students respond in real time, listeners can hear interpretation becoming more confident, coherent, and individual. Presented with the San Diego Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the masterclass supports the next generation of organists while welcoming teachers, students, musicians, and curious listeners into the learning process. Admission is free. The program is designed to welcome both experienced listeners and people encountering this repertoire for the first time. Its pacing allows musical contrasts to register clearly while sustaining a unified dramatic and emotional arc. The resonant interior of St. James becomes an active part of the experience, enriching sustained sound and bringing quieter details into focus.