BYU Organ Department

Very few of us play on an organ with generous resources. A two-manual organ with a small number of stops on each division is very common. James Welch, who has made a career performing on organs of a wide range of types and resources, will share some ways to use organs with limited resources to their full potential. Join us in this BYU Organ Workshop class and you will definitely leave armed with new ways to make use of your organ.

Have you ever wanted to write your own music? Attend the Composers Clinic with Neil Harmon at the BYU Organ Workshop to get feedback on your own compositions, or bring musical ideas to get started composing for organ. Dr. Harmon's own arrangements and compositions are widely publicized. Note: this class is for those that are comfortable with advanced theory topics.

Whether you are called to serve as an organist or accompanist, or as a professional church musician, the list of situations you must handle can be wide-ranging. Challenges may include interpersonal concerns, differences in musical taste, logistics, unrealistic expectations, last-minute changes, or issues with the instrument itself– to name just a few! Join Susanna Karrington, one of our new instructors, to explore practical ways to manage common problems with patience, flexibility, and grace while serving effectively and confidently. This class is part of the 2026 BYU Organ Workshop.

There is a wonderful free organ concert this July at BYU sponsored by the Utah Valley chapter of the AGO. Hope you can attend!

We have a great Monday evening activity for the BYU Organ Workshop this year! The opening seminar for the workshop is a special observance on the occasion of the 250th birthday of this country. “The Colors of American Organ Music” is an engaging history of organ music in the United States. Those familiar with workshop instructor Valerie Harris know that her energy, preparation, and enthusiasm for anything she presents will make this seminar a great kick-off for 2026 BYU Organ Workshop.

You might recognize a few new instructors for our 2026 BYU Organ Workshop. Stay tuned to our page over the next two months for highlights of some of the classes they are teaching.

This past weekend we held a Traveling Organ Workshop in Spokane, Washington. This was our 107th traveling workshop. We had 163 attend from 22 stakes and 6 other churches. This brings our grand total to 12,417 attendees since our first workshop in 2013. Many thanks to Joyce Hawkins and her committee for organizing the workshop! Pictured are Joyce Hawkins (Local Coordinator), Neil Harmon, Daniel Kerr, Lisa Glade, Sheri Peterson, and Jennifer Hicks (Coordinating Council Communications Director). Thanks to all who attended!

The BYU Organ Workshop is less than two months away! Watch this page where we will highlight our instructors and some of the classes that they will be teaching. If you want to start getting to know them now, you can read their bios at

2026 Instructors

The schedule of classes in now available for the BYU Organ Workshop this summer.
Schedule
https://organworkshop.byu.edu/2026-daily-schedule
Instructors
https://organworkshop.byu.edu/2026-instructors
Registration