The Kotzaschmar Organ, the first municipal organ in the country to be designated a municipal organ and one of only two still in existence (the other is in San Diego), is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.
Named after German musician Hermann Kotzschmar, who resided in Portland from 1849 to 1908, the organ was a gift to the city from publishing magnate Cyrus H. K. Curtis. When installed in Portland City Hall in 1912, the 50-ton organ, built by the Austin Organ Company in Hartford, Conn., was the second largest in the world. Over the last 100 years, it’s survived moves, repairs, enlargements, and building renovations.
Kotzschmar Organ trivia
225,000 people attended a Kotzschmar Organ concert during its first year. The organ’s narrowest pipe is 1/8 inch, the biggest is 32 feet. The city has employed 10 municipal organists since 1912, Ray Cornils has had the title since 1990. Kotzschmar has 102 ranks, 6,862 pipes in eight divisions: Swell, Great, Solo, Orchestral, Antiphonal, Echo, Pedal, and Percussion. The Echo and Antiphonal divisions can be heard emanating from the large grid in the ceiling near the rear of Merrill Auditorium
Tour the Kotzschmar Organ
Yes, you read that right. You can walk through the Kotzschmar Organ’s windchest on a docent-led tour offered by the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ.
