Hi. I'm Lyn Larsen and I'm a theatre organist. I began classical piano lessons at age 3 and began playing the organ when I was 7. After hearing George Wright play at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena, California, my interest turned to the theatre pipe organ. Two years later, I made my concert debut, in 1964 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to perform on virtually every important instrument in the United States, Australia, and England.
Among the highlights of my career are my appearances at the Hollywood Bowl, and an Organ Gala concert in London’s Royal Albert Hall with Carlo Curley and the late Pierre Cochereau of Notre Dame Catherdral in Paris. I’ve also performed one of only two solo organ concerts ever given at Radio City Music Hall, in New York. Also, I’ve had the good fortune to be chosen to perform the re-dedication concerts on many restored theatre organs, including the organs in the Chicago Theatre and Shea's Buffalo Theatre. In 1994, the American Theatre Organ Society named me Organist of the Year and inducted me into their Hall of Fame – the youngest person ever inducted.
As well as performing, I am a consultant in the tonal design and layout of both new pipe organ installations and in the restoration of historic instruments all over the United States. I oversaw the installation and finishing of the 5-manual, 80-rank theatre organ (the largest theatre organ in the world) in the Sanfilippo Music Salon near Chicago, and was in charge of the resoration and expansion of the 4-manual, 73-rank Wurlitzer in the San Sylmar museum in Sylmar, California.
I have made more than 40 record albums. I was the first theatre organist to have a compact disc released by a national recording company. One of those has the distinction of being the only theatre organ recording ever to make Billboard Magazine's Top Ten CD List.
Last Update: December 16, 1998
