Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
EXPERT ARTISANS making steady progress on the kauffman center pipe organ By: Dalene Bradford
1. Jane Chu recently traveled to Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec to meet with Jacquelin Rochette (left ) and Didier Grassin (right) of Casavant Frères, the 125-year-old firm selected to build the concert hall organ. Kauffman Center organ components are ready for assembly and testing in the Casavant workshop.
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2. Didier Grassin, mechanical action workshop director at Casavant, discusses the process of casting and hand-soldering pipes, which is then followed by careful “voicing” that provides just the right sound. He explained that as much as 70 percent of a pipe can be tin in order to provide the best resonance. But this composition also makes them soft, requiring special bracing to avoid damage.
3. Jacquelin Rochette, tonal director for Casavant, joined Grassin during the visit. The pipes behind them are similar to those of the Kauffman Center organ, which will have 102 ranks (or sets) of pipes. Rochette shared that the Kauffman Center organ will have a distinctive look that will be immediately identifiable. “When people see a photo, they will say, ‘That’s Kansas City’s organ,’” Rochette promises.
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4. Casavant artisans, whose fathers and grandfathers often worked here before them, carry out a range of tasks, from casting metal and forming pipes, building cabinetry and casework, voicing pipes and much more. Here, Grassin explains how Casavant purchases wood years ahead of time so that it is dry and well seasoned for an organ component like this organ pedalboard.
5. Casavant is one of the few builders that makes their own keyboards. The Kauffman Center organ will have 79 stops (like those seen in this photo), 102 ranks and 5,548 pipes. It is designed to suit the Kauffman Center concert hall’s size and acoustics. ●
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