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[Joe Vitacco III standing in the Echo Organ at Woolsey Hall ]
Joe Vitacco III standing in the Echo Organ at Woolsey Hall (photo by Harold Shaprio)

[Contribute to the organ fund at Our Lady of Refuge.]
The Notre Dame Club of New York has set up a way to contribute to the organ fund at Our Lady of Refuge.

[Problems with the organ at Our Lady of Refuge]
A bellows from the organ at Our Lady of Refuge in Brooklyn NY. This is the instrument that sparked Joe’s interest in the pipe organ. (photo by Joe Vitacco)

[Chris Frommen leans over the edge of the organ loft at Saint Sulpice to set up microphones for the Widor Mass recording session.]
Chris Frommen leans over the edge of the organ loft at Saint Sulpice to set up microphones for the Widor Mass recording session. (photo by Joe Vitacco)

[The choir rehearses behind the altar at Saint Sulpice.]
The choir rehearses behind the altar at Saint Sulpice. The grand orgue is in the distance at the other end of the Nave. (photo by Joe Vitacco)

[Daniel Roth sits at the grand orgue and watches the conductor through the small TV monitor.]
Daniel Roth sits at the grand orgue and watches the conductor through the small TV monitor. (photo by Joe Vitacco)

[Daniel Roth sits at the grand orgue and watches the conductor through the small TV monitor.]
This picture illustrates the massive distance from the grand orgue to the choir on the other side of the altar. (photo by Joe Vitacco)

Joe’s Amazing Venture

A 10th anniversary salute to Joseph A. Vitacco, a young business major from the University of Notre Dame who set out to document some of the world's finest pipe organs.

AudioListen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

  • Week of February 19, 2007

Links and Resources:

Audio Commentary:

Comments from Joe Vitacco: (click on the titles below to listen to this additional audio commentary)

Music played in the program

CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD: Prelude in d, Op. 105, no. 6 –Mark Peterson (1970 Aeolian-Skinner/Trinity Episcopal Church, New York, NY) Goony CD-1996

ALFRED HOLLINS: Concert Overture in C –Roger Fisher (1930 Skinner/Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, Morristown, NJ) JAV CD-128

RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS: With wings like eagles –Riverside Choir/Helen Cha-Pyo, conductor; Timothy Smith (1967 Aeolian-Skinner/Riverside Church, New York, NY) JAV CD-134

MARCEL DUPRÉ: Litanie, Op. 19, no. 2b –Joseph A. Vitacco (1971 Aeolian-Skinner/Saint Bartholomew's Church, New York, NY)

MARCO ENRICO BOSSI: Giga –Ken Cowan (1930 Skinner/Holy Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, OH) JAV CD-131

FELIX MENDELSSOHN: Prelude in e –Thomas Murray (1927 Skinner/Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH) JAV CD-154

VINCENT YOUMANS: Tea for Two –Skinner Organ Roll #207 (1929 Skinner/Elm Court, Butler, PA) JAV CD-139

MAX REGER: Benedictus, Op. 59, no. 9 –Thomas Murray (1928 Skinner/Woolsey Hall, Yale University, New Haven, CT) JAV 2CD-124

GEORGES BIZET (arr. Lemare): Carmen Fantasy –Todd Wilson (1921 Skinner/Parish of Saint Luke, Evanston, IL) JAV CD-140

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: Marche Pontificale, from Organ Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 –Stephen Tharp (1862 Cavaillé-Coll/Church of Saint Sulpice, Paris) JAV CD-130

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: Sanctus/Benedictus, from Mass, Op. 36 –Choeur Darius Milhaud/Camille Haedt-Goussu, conductor; Ensemble Dodecamen/Christopher Hyde, conductor; Mark Dwyer & Stephen Tharp (1857 Cavaillé-Coll choir organ); Daniel Roth (1862 Cavaillé-Coll/Church of Saint Sulpice, Paris) JAV CD-158

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: Toccata (fragment), from Organ Symphony No. 5 in F –Stephen Tharp (1934 Kilgen/Our Lady of Refuge Church, Brooklyn, NY) JAV Archive

RICHARD HILLERT: Alleluia! Voices Raise –Saint Patrick's Cathedral Choir/John-Michael Caprio, conductor; Stephen Tharp (1930 Kilgen/Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York, NY) Pipedreams Archive (recorded 7/7/96)

Other Information:

More information about the extensive catalog of recordings can be found at JAV Recordings.

Special Thanks:

Joe Vitacco wishes to thank these individuals who have contributed to his life and the success of JAV Recordings:

John Karl Hirten, formerly organist at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint James, Brooklyn

Craig Cramer, University of Notre Dame

Christoph Frommen, Aeolus Records

Ed Kelly, Mobilemaster Recordings

Nicholas Thompson-Allen and Joseph Dzeda, of the Thompson-Allen Co., New Haven, CT

Nelson Barden and Associates, Boston, MA

Robert Schopp, of A. R. Schopp's Sons, Alliance, OH

Michael Quimby, of Quimby Pipe Organs Inc., Warrensburg, MO

Also Stephen Tharp, Dan Madden, Peter Stoltzfus, and Janice Jankowski