Organist David Briggs to Perform at John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ Recital Series

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Organist David Briggs will perform at the fourth annual John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ Recital Series at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, April 6, 2025, in John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque. The recital is part of the 12th annual Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series.

Briggs is an internationally renowned concert organist and composer whose performances are acclaimed for their musicality, virtuosity, and ability to excite and engage audiences of all ages. Consistently ranked as one of the finest organists of his generation, Briggs' extensive repertoire spans five centuries.

He also has become one of the foremost organ transcribers of symphonic works, thereby giving listeners the opportunity to experience the organ in a new way. Briggs has transcribed orchestral compositions by Franz Schubert, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Edward Elgar, Anton Bruckner, Maurice Ravel, and Johann Sebastian Bach as well as Gustav Mahler's Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth symphonies.

Described as "an intrepid improviser" by Michael Barone, host of American Public Media's Pipedreams, Briggs also frequently performs improvisations to silent films such as The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Nosferatu, Jeanne d'Arc, Metropolis, The Kings of Kings, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The General, and a variety of Charlie Chaplin films.

At the age of 17, Briggs obtained his Fellow of the Royal College of Organists diploma, winning the silver medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He was organ scholar at the King's College Cambridge from 1981 to 1984, during which time he studied with Jean Langlais in Paris. The first British winner of the Tournemire Prize at the St. Albans International Improvisation Competition, Briggs also won the first prize in the International Improvisation Competition at Paisley. Subsequently, he held positions at Hereford, Truro, and Gloucester cathedrals.

Deeply committed to ensuring organ music remains relevant and vibrant, Briggs enjoys giving pre-concert lectures and demonstrations that help make organ music more broadly accessible. He teaches performance at Cambridge University, frequently serves on international organ competition juries, and gives master classes at college and conservatories across the U.S. and Europe.

Briggs performs over 50 concerts a year at venues such as Maison Symphonique in Montreal; Royal Albert Hall in London; Notre-Dame, Saint-Sulpice, and Saint-Eustache in Paris; Kimmel Center in Philadelphia; Berlin Philharmonie in Germany; the Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto; and more. He is also a prolific composer and his works range from full scale oratorios to works for solo instruments. He has recorded two DVDs and 37 CDs, many of which include his own compositions and transcriptions.

Briggs is currently artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

During his John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ Recital Series performance, Briggs will play music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Claude Debussy, Johannes Brahms, Hector Berlioz, and Maurice Ravel as well as an improvisation piece.

The John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ was dedicated in May 2021 and has 3,033 pipes. The pipe organ has enhanced campus events and been utilized as a practice and recital instrument. UD Trustee John Butler (DHL'17) and his spouse, Alice (DHL'17), gifted the instrument. Dobson Pipe Organ Builders built and installed the pipe organ - the 97th new organ built by the firm.

Tickets may be purchased now! Stop by the Farber Box Office, Heritage Center, 2255 Bennett Street; call 563.585.7469; or visit www.dbq.edu/HeritageCenter to purchase tickets. The box office is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 90 minutes prior to events.

Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets online for reduced ticket handling fees.

The Heritage Performing Arts Loyalty System (H-PALS) allows patrons to earn rewards with most ticket purchases. For every $200 spent on eligible events, patrons will receive one free ticket (valued up to $50) to their choice of eligible event. Reward points are redeemable for Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series events only. Visit www.dbq.edu/HeritageCenter for more details.