Douglas O'Neill

Every year it’s a challenge to find renowned and recognized organists to come to Salt Lake City to take part in the Cathedral of the Madeleine’s Eccles Organ Festival. And every year cathedral organist Douglas O’Neill pulls a rabbit out of his hat and finds performers that will do justice to the repertoire and to the cathedral’s mighty instrument.

“Each year we bring international, national and local organists to the festival,” O’Neill said. A committee consisting of O’Neill and a group of prominent local organists compile lists of names and invite them to the festival. “It can be tricky with international organists because we have to coordinate with their U.S. tour dates,” O’Neill said. “But we always manage to piece together a festival that meets our criteria.”

This year the local artist will be Andrew Unsworth, currently one of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir organists and a former Cathedral of the Madeleine organist. “I’m happy that he will be a part of the festival,” O’Neill said. “I’m looking forward to his concert.”

Opening the festival this Sunday is Hungarian organist Bálint Karosi, who now lives in Boston where he is the organist at First Lutheran Church. “He specializes in early music and also contemporary works and arrangements of music for violin.”

O’Neill met Karosi years ago at the Dublin International Organ and Choral Festival. “There is an organ competition associated with this festival which Bálint won that year.” (O’Neill was the previous year’s winner.)

Besides bringing together a select group of organists, O’Neill strives for balance and variety in repertoire. “All of the artists bring something different to the instrument, and that makes it interesting.”

Below are the festival dates. All concerts begin at 8 p.m. in the Cathedral of the Madeleine and are free of charge.

Sept. 11: Bálint Karosi (Hungary, Boston)

Sept. 25: Ines Maidre (Estonia)

Oct. 9: Janette Fishell (Indiana University)

Oct. 23: Andrew Unsworth (Salt Lake City)

Nov. 6: Chelsea Chen (New York City)