At 7.30pm on Friday 22 May, Carlo Curley, one of the world’s foremost concert organists, opens the 2009 series of organ recitals at Romsey Abbey.
He will be playing a programme entitled Battle of the Organs that features Abbey organists Robert Fielding and James Eaton, as well as a number of popular anthems sung by the Abbey Choir. It pits the Abbey’s historic Walker organ against the new Viscount Physis digital organ.
Born into a musical family in North Carolina (USA) in 1952, Carlo Curley attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and was a pupil of renowned teachers Arthur Poister and Robert Elmore. He went on to study with two of the world’s greatest organists: America’s legendary Virgil Fox and Great Britain’s Sir George Thalben-Ball.
Early in his career, he was invited by the President to play at the White House, and made history as the first classical organist to give a solo organ recital there. Today, he tours the world, having played in every state and province in North America and Canada, as well as Europe, Asia, Australia and Hong Kong. His recent concert tour of Japan with the King’s Singers, sponsored by Rolex, was warmly received and a sell-out everywhere.
Carlo Curley has played before crowned heads of Europe, including the Princess Royal, the late Princess Grace of Monaco, and several Command Performances for the Danish Royal Family. He has made private recordings for the Sultan of Oman.
Wherever he goes, Carlo Curley’s charismatic personality inevitably finds its way onto TV and radio. His network TV appearances in the United States, England, Australia and Japan are well known.
In England, Mr. Curley has made numerous appearances for the BBC including organ spectaculars from the Cathedrals at Ely, Lichfield, Norwich, Guildford and Gloucester. Recently Classic FM broadcast live his concert at Westminster Abbey, given in aid of the Abbey Choir School and the Royal School of Church Music.
Carlo Curley records exclusively for Decca International, including CDs and the first-ever commercial video of a classical organ performance, Organ Imperial. His recordings have been voted Best of the Month by Stereo Review in the USA, Record of the Year in Scandinavia, Laser Disc of Exceptional Merit by FM Fan in Japan, where his CDs enjoy particularly brisk sales.
Other recitals in the series:
- 5 June – Malcolm Archer
- 10 July – Jeremy Landford
- 7 August – Josef Miltschitzky
- 11 September – James Eaton
- 2 October – Anthony Pinel