Award-winning Hungarian organist on November concert calendar at St. Thomas

Award-winning Hungarian organist on November concert calendar at St. Thomas

The University of St. Thomas Music Department welcomes the public to the free music performances listed below. All will be held on the university’s St. Paul campus. For additional information, call (651) 962-5850.

Hungarian organist
8:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas: Organ recital award-winning young Hungarian organist László Fassang gives a recital on St. Thomas’ Gabriel Kney organ. A feature of his recital will be an improvisation on themes derived from Christian, Jewish and Islamic sacred music. Fassang’s performance is part of St. Thomas’ 27th annual Sacred Arts Festival.

Fassang won the 2004 Grand Prix de Chartres, the 2002 Improvisational Gold Medal at the Royal Bank Calgary International Organ Festival and Competition, and prizes for improvisation and the Duruflé Prize at the 2002 City of Paris International Competition.

Born into a musical family in 1973 in Budapest, Fassang began studying the organ when he was 13. He graduated from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in 1998, then entered the Paris Conservatory. In 2000, Fassang took a year’s sabbatical to become resident organist at Sapporo concert Hall in Japan. Since leaving Japan, he has performed concerts in France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Canada and the United States. He currently divides his time between Hungary and Spain, where he teaches at the Musikene in San Sebastian.

Student concerts, recital

8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, in Brady Educational Center: Small ensembles concert featuring the university's Instrumental Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Brass Choir, String Ensemble and Jazz Singers.