"Around the pipes of Jerusalem" | Medieval organ masterclass by Christophe Deslignes

25 - 27 March 2026, Sala Bassetti, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera.

The discovery in Bethlehem of the oldest organ pipes in the Christian West, now preserved in Jerusalem, and the study conducted as part of the JERUS-IT-ARTS project with the masterclass on 25, 26, and 27 March, compel us to reflect on the state of current research and experimentation in the field of medieval organ reconstruction.

It is also an opportunity to highlight the state of new musical repertoires for medieval organs between the 12th and 15th centuries (positive, portable, and large organs) and to give new impetus to improvisational practices.

For the masterclass, organ builder Walter Chinaglia provided a reconstruction of Stephen Harding's Bible organ (12th century) and a copy of the positive organ from Hugo Van der Goes' painting, 1480 (portrait of Sir Edward Bonkil).