Spreckels Organ Society

The primary programmatic function of the Spreckels Organ Society is providing Sunday and special concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion on our world-famous organ. This is done in coordination with the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. The city pays the civic organist to perform on Sundays, but the Spreckels Organ Society pays the bulk of the organist's compensation. We also pay for extra expenses such as hand programs, additional musicians, vocalists and holiday decorations. The Spreckels Organ Society also provides additional events and concerts throughout the year. In addition to the San Diego International Summer Organ Festival, the Spreckels Organ Society presented several special concerts on Saturdays and holidays during 2024, including Halloween, December Nights and Mother's Day concerts. The Spreckels Organ Society also pays for the organ curator for special concerts.

The Spreckels Organ Society third program is scholarships for organ students. Each year, the San Diego chapter of the American Guild of Organists holds a competition for young organ students, and the Spreckels Organ Society awards scholarships to the top three contestants. The 2024 scholarship winners were Isabella, age 6; Yuhan, age 11 and Aska, age 14.

For many years, the Spreckels Organ Society has presented a special program for students, focusing on Title I schools. It includes a demonstration of how the organ works and a mini concert. In 2024, we received a grant to purchase an Orgelkids pipe organ kit, which is a small scale, fully functional organ that teaches valuable STEAM skills while children build the organ in a small group. The goal of the education program is to provide high-quality, accessible music exposure programs for San Diego youth, fostering creative expression, confidence and academic success.