John Karl Hirten

John Karl Hirten regularly performs organ recitals in the Bay Area, including monthly programs at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. He is Director of Music at St. Stephen's Church in Belvedere, an accompanist for the San Francisco Boys Chorus, and a composer.

Articles By This Author

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Review

Ranking French Mastery

John Karl Hirten - February 22, 2010
The Parisian titular organist holds a special — some would say even exalted — place in the hearts and minds of organ fans.
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Review

Conducting the Organ

John Karl Hirten - April 27, 2009

Paul Jacobs is the first organist in several generations who, by the sheer breadth of his accomplishments alone, has managed to restore the public perception of the organ as a viable concert instrument.

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Review

Color Artist at the Keys

John Karl Hirten - February 17, 2009

While he was alive, Max Reger enjoyed considerable popularity as a composer of chamber and orchestral works, but since his untimely death in 1916, he has been sparsely represented in concert halls. Not so with his organ music.

Top-Rank Organ Playing

John Karl Hirten - April 1, 2008
The composer Ned Rorem once said that he didn't particularly enjoy going to organ recitals, because the live acoustics in churches prevented him from properly hearing the music. He thought that other organists, who are used to hearing through the acoustical fog, mostly made up the audiences for these recitals.

Racing Bach

John Karl Hirten - January 15, 2008
The nice thing about living in 21st-century California is that people find gods for everything and in every place. Take J.S. Bach, for instance. He’s a god of music if ever there was one and, as every god should, he has a high priest. At least, that’s what it says in Anthony Newman’s bio.