Commission an original musical composition for Mechanics Hall (00 value)

Description

[Update 11/4/22: only one left. Auction will end on November 15.]
You are bidding on a rare opportunity to commission a 4-minute-long organ work based on a Christmas theme, composed by Leonardo Ciampa, Mechanics Hall Composer-in-Residence 2021-2023. The piece will be premiered by the composer at the concert “Christmas at Mechanics,” to be held on Wednesday, December 14 at 12:00 p.m. at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The new organ work will be dedicated to the winning bidder or to someone of the winning bidder's choosing. The dedicatee's name will be engraved in the printed music. The winner will also receive a copy of the printed music, autographed by the composer. The work will be performed on Mechanics Hall's internationally renowned 1864 E. & G. G. Hook pipe organ, acknowledged to be one of the world's great concert hall organs.
100% of the winning bid will be donated to Mechanics Hall (a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization), tax deductible as allowed by law. The winning bidder will pay Mechanics Hall directly,
via check, money order, or directly on the Mechanics Hall website. The bidder will receive an official donation acknowledgment letter from Mechanics Hall.
ABOUT THE WORK
The theme for the organ work must be in the public domain. It may be either sacred (pertaining to Advent, Christmas, or Epiphany) or secular (pertaining to Yuletide or to the winter season in general). The composer shall have final approval of the theme. The work shall be no less than 4 minutes in length, and its harmonic language will be fully tonal.
ABOUT THE HALL
The nation’s finest pre-Civil War performance hall, and the premier event venue and concert hall in Central Massachusetts, MECHANICS HALL is located on Main Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is owned by the Worcester County Mechanics Association, who built the hall in 1857. Mechanics Hall has a global reputation for its stunning acoustics and Neo-Renaissance architecture. Some of the world's greatest musical artists have performed there, everyone from Enrico Caruso to Ella Fitzgerald. As much a community gathering place as it is a world-class performance hall, Mechanics Hall is sought after by recording and performance artists and is beloved for hosting events that inspire, enrich, and enlighten generations. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
ABOUT THE WORCESTER ORGAN
The Hook Organ, installed in 1864, dominates the Great Hall. American organ builders Elias and George Greenleaf Hook, brothers from Boston, constructed the 52-stop, 3,504-pipe instrument, which is often referred to as the "Worcester Organ." Today, it is the oldest unaltered four-keyboard pipe organ in the Western Hemisphere located at its installation site.
Restored in 1982 by the Noack Organ Company, the Worcester Organ since then has become one of the most popular and respected organs in the United States. It has been featured numerous times on National Public Radio, performed in several recordings, and has been featured on television and in a major motion picture, as well as in a music video starring Michael Crawford, the original "Phantom of the Opera."
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born in Boston in 1971, composer/organist/pianist LEONARDO CIAMPA is a musician of international repute.
Ciampa is Mechanics Hall Composer-in-Residence 2021-2023, Director of Music at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Worcester, MA (since 2019) and Maestro di Cappella Onorario of the Basilica in Gubbio, Italy (since 2015). He was artistic director of organ concerts at MIT (2009-2016) and founding director of Arts MetroWest (2012-2019).  His compositions have been performed in important concert halls and cathedrals in the United States and Europe.
ABOUT THE WINNING BID
The winner of the auction will pay Mechanics Hall directly, via check, money order, or directly on the Mechanics Hall website. The bidder will receive an official donation acknowledgment letter from Mechanics Hall for the bid, 100% of which will be donated to Mechanics Hall (a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization), tax deductible as allowed by law.
This opportunity has been made possible by Leonardo Ciampa for the benefit of Mechanics Hall, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization located at 321 Main Street, Worcester MA 01608.