300 jaar Vater-Müller orgel: Orgelmarathon

The famous Vater-Müller orgel will be 300 years old in October. The Oude Kerk is celebrating this special anniversary with an organ marathon. On Saturday 17 October, you can listen to the birthday organ all day long. 7 leading concert organists will take their place behind the keys and play a varied programme in which the rich and broad tradition of organ music will resound. Programme 10:00 Matteo Imbruno (titular organist Oude Kerk Amsterdam) 11:00 Winfried Bönig (organist Dom Keulen) 12:00 Henk Verhoef (organist Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam) 13:00 Margreeth de Jong (organist Nieuwe Kerk Middelburg) 14:00 Evan Bogerd (cantor-organist Westerkerk Amsterdam) 15:00 Aart Bergwerff (organist Grote Kerk Breda) 16:00 Arjen Leistra (city organist Schiedam) 16:45 Matteo Imbruno The Orgelmarathon is organised in collaboration with Vox Humana. About the Vater-Müller orgel The Oude Kerk has been home to the Vater-Müller orgel for three hundred years, one of the most important historical organs in the Netherlands. The instrument was taken into use in October 1726 and built by the famous organ builder Christian Vater. It replaced the older Niehoff-orgel on which the famous composer and organist Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck played. In 1738, the Vater-Müller orgel was expanded by Johann Caspar Müller. A major restoration followed in 1870 by Bätz & Co. under the direction of C.G.F. Witte. His interventions also left an important mark on the instrument and made the organ suitable for performing romantic repertoire as well. Between 2015 and 2019, the organ was restored by the firm Reil. In doing so, the original character of the instrument was preserved.