Orgel, Paul
Born in New York City, Paul Orgel has concertized throughout the United States and Eastern Europe as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and chamber musician. He has given notable concerts in such venues as New York’s Merkin Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Jordan Hall, and the Gardner Museum in Boston, the Ordway Theater in St. Paul, and the San Francisco Conservatory. Critics have praised his playing for its “subtlety and attention to nuance” (Philadelphia Inquirer), “rare pathos” (New York Times), and “brilliant technique, sense of humor and fantasy” (Bridgeport Post).
A versatile musician with wide-ranging interests and an extremely varied repertoire, Orgel has been associated with many composers including Messaien, Cage, Rochberg, and T. L. Read. He can be heard on recent recordings of music by Louis Moyse on the CRI label (a 2002 Grammy nominee) and on the Capstone label (Keyboard Fantasies by Curt Cacioppo). He has specialized in Czech music, performing programs of the complete piano music of Janacek and music from Terezin; and, as a scholar of classical performance practice, Orgel has given recitals of Haydn and Beethoven on the Viennese fortepiano.
As a chamber musician, Paul Orgel has been associated with the Yellow Barn Festival, was a founding member of the Interlochen Trio, an original member of Music at Edens Edge (an ensemble based in Boston’s North Shore), and has collaborated with such artists as Jaime Laredo, the Chicago String Quartet, and the Quartetto di Venezia. He is a core member of the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Orgel was educated at Oberlin, the New England Conservatory, and Boston University. He holds a doctorate in piano performance from Temple University. Among his piano teachers were Russell Sherman, Lillian and Irwin Freundlich, and Harvey Wedeen. He is currently a member of the music faculty at the University of Vermont and is Artist-in-Residence in the Humanities at Saint Michael’s College.
