Tours – Backstage Pipes
Join FOKO docents and James Kennerley, our municipal organist (or an exceptional substitute when James isn’t available) for a behind the scenes view and demonstration of the magnificent Kotzschmar Memorial Organ.
How much do you know about pipe organs and how they work? We offer an experience that takes you on a journey to learn how the Kotzschmar Organ came to be in Merrill Auditorium with all of its capabilities. Enjoy a special demonstration concert during which you will hear the various sounds and colors of this Austin symphonic pipe organ.
Get up close to see and examine the state of the art console that is the “brain behind the instrument.” Highly trained docents take you on a unique tour where you actually walk inside the organ’s wind chest! Most organ wind chests are mere inches tall, but the Kotzschmar’s wind chest is large enough for you to walk comfortably through it and see its intricate inner workings.
Backstage pipes tours are scheduled intermittently throughout the year. Additional tours are possible to schedule, depending on group size (typically a 10 person minimum) and the availability of Merrill Auditorium around ongoing concerts and events across multiple organizations. to find out the next available time and let us know about your interest.
Contact FOKO
Upcoming Tours
Thank You for Your Interest in Backstage Pipes!
At the moment, there aren’t any upcoming Backstage Pipes tours scheduled, but if you could take a moment to fill out this Google Form, we’ll make note of your interest and notify you by email as soon as a tour becomes available.
As a small nonprofit, we do our best to offer tours as frequently as possible, but due to limited capacity and conflicts with scheduling time in the Hall, we aren’t able to maintain a regular schedule. However, we aim to offer a tour every other month, typically on weekdays, so that we can keep the tours free.
Tour Accessibility:
The tour requires standing and navigating stairs, narrow spaces, and heights.
Your entry and presence on the event premises constitutes your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ and its initiatives, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news and advertising.
For more information contact us, or email Tours@foko.org
Click here to schedule your tour!