Organ Recital I – Tomáš Mihalik

Young Slovak organist Tomáš Mihalik, winner of the Petr Eben Competition, settled in eastern Slovakia after studying in Bratislava and Lyon. He will make his debut at the philharmonic with a French program, which he has a particularly deep understanding of after his stay in France. Marcel Dupré, author of dozens of exceptionally impressive compositions for solo organ, many of which are inspired by his own improvisations and Dupré's indispensable spiritual themes. The greatest inspiration for Charles-Marie Widor to create ten organ symphonies was undoubtedly the monumental Cavaillé-Coll organ in Saint-Sulpice in Paris, where this composer, teacher, and performer worked as titular organist for an incredible 64 years. Olivier Messiaen, a student of both Dupré and Widor, pushed the boundaries of tonality through his use of modes. In Le Repas du Noyé, the octatonic mode is combined with an extremely slow tempo, the intention of the work being that both the player and the listener should perceive it as a meditation. Jeanne Demessieux, the first female organist to sign a recording contract, was also a student of Dupré. The titular organist of La Madeleine Church in Paris played from memory, and her active repertoire included more than 2,500 works.