Jacob Benda, music professor at the University of St. Thomas and director of music, liturgy and sacred arts at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, was recently featured in a review of the North Central American Guild of Organists’ convention by the Star Tribune.
From the story:
Tuesday’s opening concert made the big sound of a pipe organ even bigger by augmenting it with an orchestra. Three organ concertos were on the program at the University of St. Thomas’ Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, two from this century, and the concert overflowed with all the grandeur one could desire. ...
An orchestra of top-notch Twin Cities-based musicians was kept in ideal balance with organ soloist Jacob Benda under Callahan’s direction, the pure and passionate tones of French horn soloist Neal Bolter piercing through the gravitas with a sound something like comfort and compassion.
