The organ pipes of Tartu St. John’s Church will be brought to life by New Jersey-based American organist James D. Hicks, whose fresh and captivating solo program focuses on showcasing relatively unexplored organ music of Nordic countries. Hicks has studied at the Peabody Institute of Music of Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, the University of Cincinnati, and the Royal School of Church Music in London. In addition to performances in the States, he has appeared as a concert organist across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He has also made 17 recordings on the Pro Organo label, including several world premiere recordings. Hicks was the longtime Director of Music at the Presbyterian Church in Morristown and is an Associate of the American Guild of Organists.

Over the past 15 years, Hicks has been deeply interested in a relatively unknown organ repertoire of the Nordic countries. This year, his focus is particularly on music from all states that border the Baltic Sea. In addition to uncovering forgotten and unpublished works, he also commissions new pieces from composers in the region (over 65 commissioned works so far). Starting with Niels Gade, the founder of the Romantic nationalist school in Danish music, Hicks’ program at the Glasperlenspiel progresses toward the present day, featuring works commissioned from living composers such as Fredrik Sixten and Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen. The arrangement of the music of legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson for the organ will certainly provide the joy of discovery, because in our conventional thought, the musical language of jazz and the church organ seem incompatible.

At the Glasperlespiel Festival will be available James D. Hicks' brand new CD, Volume XVIII in the Nordic Journey series, which also features music by Estonian composers Peeter Süda, Urmas Sisask, and Peeter Vähi, among others.