Paul Jacobs (organist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Jacobs at the organ console of the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, New York City

[edit] Biography

Paul Jacobs (born February 1, 1977 in Washington, Pennsylvania) is an American organist.

Jacobs studied both organ and harpsichord at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, performing the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach several times during his final semester as an undergraduate student, including once in an 18-hour non-stop marathon concert in Pittsburgh on the 250th anniversary of the composer's death, July 28, 2000. Jacobs subsequently performed the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen in eight American cities, each time in a nine-hour marathon concert.

In 2003 Jacobs was invited to join the faculty of The Juilliard School and the following year was named chairman of its organ department, making him one of the youngest faculty appointments in the school's history. Winning accolades and awareness for the pipe organ from both critics and audiences alike, Jacobs has performed on five continents. His extensive repertoire includes music from the 16-century through contemporary times.

In addition to numerous awards and honors, Jacobs was the first organist to be given the Harvard Musical Association's Arthur W. Foote Award in 2004. He received the Yale School of Music's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005, and in 2007 he was awarded the William Schuman Scholars Chair at The Juilliard School.