Current Projects | John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders

New Organ for St. Bridget's Catholic Church, Richmond, Virginia

John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders is privileged to announce signing a contract with St. Bridget Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia for a new pipe organ. The instrument, which will bear the builder’s number of Opus 42, will initially contain 32 stops and 38 ranks across three manuals and pedal. Several stops have been prepared for future addition; the Church is actively pursuing funding from its parishioners for these enhancements. Completion is scheduled for June of 2013. The Director of Music is Mr. Allen Bean, and the Pastor is The Rev. Monsignor William A. Carr.

3D rendering by "PipeShader".

New Organ for Trinity Lutheran Church, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders is pleased to announce the commissioning of an organ for Trinity Lutheran Church, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The instrument of 41 stops, 53 ranks, across three manuals and pedal will be the 41st pipe organ from the builder’s workshop in Champaign, Illinois.

The instrument, scheduled for delivery and completion during the Fall of 2012, will coincide with Trinity Church’s 160th Anniversary. Mr. Brian Heinlein is the Parish’s Director of Music, teaches in the Church’s school, and conducts six choirs.

The organ will incorporate black walnut organ casework from the Church’s extant 1920’s instrument, modified to feature facades of speaking polished tin Principal pipes. The organ will utilize electrically-operated Slider & Pallet windchests, a steady winding system, and Peterson solid-state switching equipment.

Virginia Theatre Wurlitzer Organ

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders is currently renovating/restoring the Wurlitzer Theater Organ from the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL. This Wurlitzer Style 185 was originally installed in 1921, with an 8' Tibia added by Wurlitzer in 1924. The organ was resurrected by David Junchen during his student days at the University of Illinois in the 1960's, and more recently had been cared for by a group of volunteers under the leadership of the late Warren York, who was also well known for his playing of the organ, especially in his trademark red socks!

The present work consists of a complete component restoration of the existing mechanism, console and pipework, while the much altered relay will be replaced with a new custom-built Peterson ICS-4000 system. This system will give the organ MIDI capabilities, as well as a combination action, the original long since removed. The remaining original relay parts will be stored in the Theatre.

An exciting part of this project is the addition of two ranks of Wurlitzer pipework, an Orchestral Oboe, and an English (Post) Horn. With these additions, the organ will essentially become a Style 216, a real "jazzy" organ that was popular on the West Coast in the later 1920's. Much care has been taken to keep these additions in Wurlitzer style through the use of restored chests, regulators and tremulants.

Below are some pictures of the organ before and during the restoration process.

The Theater's exterior