Organ Society presents holiday concert webcasts
(Spreckels Organ Society) The Spreckels Organ Society and San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez announced a series of holiday webcast concerts direct from Balboa Park during the pandemic holidays 2020.
Since March 2020, the historic Spreckels Organ Pavilion has been closed to in-person audiences. However, in this time of isolation and fear, the Spreckels Organ Society, led by Raúl Prieto Ramírez, has doubled down to provide a window of hope set in and around the unparalleled beauty of San Diego’s Balboa Park.
Holiday Concerts
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m.
Spreckels Organ Concert Webcast & Holiday Sing-Along with Marco Antonio Labastida:
The Spreckels Organ Society presents San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez with featured guest celebrity vocalist, tenor Marco Antonio Labastida. Feast on your favorite Mexican carols in the Castellano language, and be inspired by majestic classics and the powerful performance of Prieto Ramírez on the magnificent Spreckels Organ, The largest outdoor musical instrument in the world. Tune in on sandiegoconcerts.org or balboaparkconcerts.org.
Sunday, Dec. 27, 2 p.m.
Spreckels Organ Concert Webcast & Holiday Sing-Along with Tasha Koontz:
The Spreckels Organ Society presents San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez with featured guest celebrity vocalist Tasha Koontz. Bask in Koontz’s sumptuous, silvery soprano voice performing the magical music of the holiday. Tune in on sandiegoconcerts.org or balboaparkconcerts.org.
Friday, Jan. 1, 2 p.m.
Spreckels Organ Vienna Style New Year’s Concert Webcast:
Ring in the New Year with a Vienna Style New Year’s Concert. A long-time tradition in Balboa Park, this year’s Spreckels Organ Concert by San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez will feature popular waltzes and polkas by the Strauss family plus popular works by Bach and Handel, introduced through playful presentations from settings all around San Diego’s beautiful Balboa Park. Tune in at sandiegoconcerts.org or balboaparkconcerts.org.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez has artfully pivoted from live concerts to fully-produced video webcasts that are enjoyed by a worldwide audience each Sunday at 2:00 pm PST (5 pm EST, 10, 22:00 GMT) on sandiegoconcerts.org or balboaparkconcerts.org.
The Spreckels Organ in Balboa Park is the world’s largest outdoor musical instrument. The Spreckels Organ Society, along with the City of San Diego, produces free-year-round concerts by world-class organists. The organ, manufactured in 1914 by the Austin Organ Company, features a remarkable walk-in air chest and was installed in a pavilion designed by architect Harrison Albright. The dedication of the Spreckels Organ launched the Panama-California Exposition on Dec. 31, 1914, and the Spreckels Organ has played continuously since then.