Sunday, July 6th, beginning at 4pm at Peace Lutheran Church, Walt Strony will thrill the lucky audience with a performance celebrating his 50 years as one of America’s premier concert organists.
We are so fortunate to have Walt land in Nevada County in “retirement.” Walt has been the organist and Artistic Director for Peace for the last 10 years while still flying around the country and beyond with performances at major events and venues. He has played on nearly every famous organ in the country, including twice on the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia, the world’s largest fully-operable pipe organ.
Walt began his musical studies beginning at 7 years of age studying both theatre and classical organ. His first public concert was 50 years ago at the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge, IL. For many years he was featured at Organ Stop Pizza in Arizona, still a popular local and tourist attraction. There he played music ranging from Bach to the Great American Songbook and even the latest disco/rock hits! He left that position in the late 80s to focus on performing internationally and working in the retail music industry. In addition, he continued this work as a church musician, something he’d done since he was 11(!)
His first organ teacher was Al Melgard, the much-loved organist at the Chicago Stadium. Melgard had begun his career as an accomplished theatre organist in Chicago during the original silent film era. Because of his relationship with Melgard, Walt is one of the last generation of organists with a genuine connection to those who played in the original silent films of the 1920s.
Today Strony is still connected to sources for silent films which are shown at regular silent film events at Peace and elsewhere. He creates a unique score for each silent movie. In Walt’s own words, “My score is in the style of what would have been done originally. The idea is to create a period musical background that helps the actors emote from the screen, without the music attracting to itself.”
Strony is an inductee into the American Theatre Organ Society Hall of Fame and is the only living two-time winner of the ATOS Organist of the Year Award. He has performed at more conventions of chapters of the Theater Organ Society than any other organist and has also performed many times at chapters of the American Guild of Organists. Strony has performed worldwide in famous international music halls on many of the world’s most famous organs.
Strony is also a sought-after organ consultant; the Allen Organ Company of Pennsylvania commissioned him to design a new four-manual instrument, known as the Walt Strony Signature Series Organ. This organ can now be found around America, as well as in France and England. In addition to being a sought after performer, performing coast to coast and throughout the world, Walt is also published and is a recording artist. His book, “The Secrets of Theatre Organ Registration,” is the go-to manual for aspiring theatre organists. He has 32 albums to his credit, his first, “Phoenix” was given a 10/10 rating by CD Review and his most recent is “Tico Tico” recorded live at the East Texas Organ Festival.
Walt is at home on the world’s most famous instruments as well as playing on Peace’s three manual Allen/Reuter organ which he helped to design, purchase and install. Sunday’s concert will feature Walt playing music of Bach, Wagner, Copland, Gershwin and Richard Rodgers…and more. Doors will open at 3:30 and a special reception honoring Walt and his accomplishments will follow the concert.
Peace Lutheran Church is located at 828 W. Main Street, just up from Historic Downtown Grass Valley. The concert is free; donations to Peace Lutheran’s Arts@Peace will be gratefully accepted.