LeFrak Hall Pipe Organ Undergoes Major Renovation

It would make for one heckuva TV commercial.

As part of the recent renovation of LeFrak Hall’s enormous pipe organ, the instrument’s entire console—the part comprised of keyboards and pedals—was FedExed to the Netherlands.

This was one of many steps in a months-long overhaul of the Maynard-Walker Memorial Organ that required the expertise of a talented group of Dutch technicians who literally lived in the Music School building throughout the process.

The work was necessary, according to organist-in-residence Jan-Piet Knijff (Music), because since its installation in 1991 when LeFrak Hall first opened, “performers became increasingly aware that certain technical concerns needed to be addressed if the instrument was to fully realize its artistic potential.”

So Knijff began researching companies and found all that he needed, and more, in the Dutch firm Flentrop Orgelbouw. The company from Zaandam is the world’s most experienced builder of this particular type of organ, with over 80 organs to its credit in the United States alone. Knijff, himself a native of the Netherlands, acted as consultant, identifying the features that needed enhancement, selecting the organ builder, and guiding the work.

The main job, he explains, was to make the route from the organ’s air reservoir—the “windchest”—to the pipes as airtight as possible, taking into account the changes in humidity in the environment. In order to give the pipes all the air they need, the keys (which open the “pallets” that regulate airflow into the pipes) of two major divisions were lengthened, so that they opened the pallets more efficiently than before.

“The Maynard-Walker Memorial Organ can now take its place as one of the eminent organs for music of the North German School in the New York area,” says Music Chair Ed Smaldone. “The work exceeded everyone’s expectations. The organ now speaks with color and clarity. We look forward to showcasing this wonderful instrument in the coming season.”

Originally built by the Bedient Pipe Organ Company of Lincoln, Nebraska, the organ was inspired by the Dutch and North German organs from 1700 that projected the music of Bach and his contemporaries to best advantage.

While staying at the college, Flentrop Orgelbouw employees used campus and off-campus facilities for breakfast and lunch, and often dined in downtown Flushing. Knijff and Smaldone also hosted dinners for the crew in their homes. It became the custom for Knijff to take new arrivals on visits to other local organs and organists. “It was a lot of fun,” he says, “and, of course, because of my own Dutch background, we had an easy rapport.”