MUNCIE — Organist Gail Archer, known internationally for her performances and recordings, will perform in Muncie as part of her world tour celebrating the release of her 11th album.
The concert will be at 4 p.m. March 13 at First Presbyterian Church in Muncie, according to a community announcement. It’s one of two concerts Archer will perform in Indiana. The other is set for 3 p.m. March 1 at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad.
Concerts to feature works by Bulgarian composers
Archer’s new album, “Dobrich: A Bulgarian Odyssey,” features works by seven Bulgarian composers from the 20th century. She recorded the album in Dobrich, Bulgaria, during her worldwide tour in summer 2024.
The album is the fourth installment in Archer’s collection of contemporary organ music from Eastern Europe, following “Cantius of Poland” (2022), “Chernivsti of Ukraine” (2020) and “A Russian Journey: Music of the Russian Five” (2017).
The collection includes nine works written from 1972 to present day. It opens with “Erendira” (1990) by Sabin Levi, a prominent Bulgarian composer who teaches at the National Academy of Music.
Two other contemporary composers, Velislav Zaimov and Neva Krysteva, are also featured. Zaimov’s works are based on Lutheran chorale melodies, while Krysteva’s piece is based on Gregorian chant.
Archer said she is hopeful the album will help bring greater awareness to the rich tradition of organ music in Bulgaria.
“Organists and audiences in Western Europe and the United States are typically unfamiliar with the organ literature of Eastern Europe,” she said in the announcement. “There are clearly cultural, economic and political obstacles to overcome in Bulgaria in order to firmly establish a well-supported organ culture in the country. I hope this recording gives listeners a sense of the remarkable creative spirit among contemporary composers in Bulgaria and is a step forward in the growth of interest in Bulgarian organ music.”
Archer has a distinguished career in organ music
Archer is an international concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer. She has drawn attention to composer anniversaries or musical themes with her annual recital series in New York City.
She was the first American woman to play the complete works of Olivier Messiaen for the centennial of the composer’s birth in 2008.
Her previous recordings include “Cantius,” “Chernivtsi,” “A Russian Journey,” “The Muse’s Voice,” “Franz Liszt: A Hungarian Rhapsody,” “Bach: The Transcendent Genius,” “An American Idyll,” “A Mystic in the Making” and “The Orpheus of Amsterdam: Sweelinck and his Pupils.”
She is the founder of Musforum, an international network for women organists. Archer is the college organist at Vassar College and director of the music program at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she conducts the Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers. She is also a faculty member of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University and artistic director of the artist and young artist organ recital series at Central Synagogue in New York City.
Tickets for Archer’s Munice concert are available at FirstPresMuncie.org.
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