Rosales Organ
Trinity Cathedral is home to the Rosales Organ, Opus 11, one of the finest pipe organs in America.
This 54-stop tracker organ was dedicated in 1987 and has gained a national reputation through recitals and recordings by a number of the world's most prominent organists including David Craighead, David Hill, Catharine Crozier, Kimberly Marshall, George Baker, Simon Preston, Olivier Latry, James O'Donnell and John Scott. The Rosales Organ is in the main sanctuary.
Construction of the organ began in 1981, and six years later, in September 1987, it was dedicated by John Strege, with Douglas Butler and David Craighead also performing in the inaugural series.
Mainstage Organ Concerts
First Sunday Organ Recitals
About the Organ
During the late 1970s, a fortuitous decision was made to undertake the redesign of the interior of the sanctuary and nave of then Trinity Church. During the early architectural consultations it became apparent that with such a comprehensive renovation, particularly in the chancel and sanctuary areas, the existing organ located in a closed chamber along the south wall of the chancel would either need to be moved or replaced. Here then was an opportunity to emphasize the increasingly prominent role of the organ in the musical heritage of Trinity, with a fine new instrument as the centerpiece.
A generous gift from philanthropist Beatrice Gerlinger made it possible for the dream to come true. Canon Dr. John Strege, Director of Cathedral Music at Trinity Cathedral, assisted by the late Douglas Butler as consultant, envisioned a large instrument along classical lines. Manuel Rosales, a young, innovative Los Angeles organ builder who was developing a national reputation as one of the foremost organ builders in the United States, was approached. Rosales had for some time wanted to attempt such a concept and the meeting of the minds that followed led to a contract with the firm of Rosales Organ Builders, Inc.
The organ's tonal characteristics were defined by John Strege, Douglas Butler and Manuel Rosales to fit the needs of standard liturgical music as well as the demanding musical literature of a recital organist. The tonal concept of the organ, thus, is eclectic, with the intention of making possible the idiomatic performance of a great variety of music while providing in particular for the demands of the Classic and 19th century French repertoires.
Catharine Crozier
Dr. Catharine Crozier (1914-2003), was Artist-in-Residence at Trinity Cathedral for much of the last decade of her life. She died in Portland in 2003 at the age of 89, having been one of the most admired and sought-after American concert organists of the 20th century.
John Strege, who invited Dr. Crozier to Trinity during his tenure as Canon for Cathedral Music, describes her as “the Leontyne Price of the classical organ music world.” She was a pioneer among women in a field once heavily dominated by male performers. At Trinity, Dr. Crozier was a frequent recitalist and offered occasional voluntaries at Sunday morning Eucharists.
Her legacy supports our annual Catharine Crozier Memorial Organ Concert, which brings brilliant concert organists from across the globe to Trinity.
Former Crozier Recitalists:
Joseph Adam (2023)
Lynne Davis (2022)
Stephen Buzard (2021)
Stephen Tharp (2019)
Christopher Young (2018)
David Hurd (2016)
Olivier Latry (2015)
Other Instruments
Trinity's chapel is home to the small unit organ built by G. Donald Harrison (Aeolian-Skinner) for Catharine Crozier and Harold Gleason. Ms. Crozier, who was Artist-in-Residence at Trinity, left the organ to the Cathedral as part of a generous bequest.
Trinity also has a four-stop continuo organ by Manuel Rosales (Opus 19)
and a harpsichord (Italian; Owen Daley, builder, Salem, OR).