The closure of Macy’s Center City in March of this year spelled uncertainty for the iconic Wanamaker Organ, a fixture of Philadelphia’s musical heritage for more than a century. Now, just five months later, the city is being invited back to the Wanamaker Building’s grand court to hear its pipes blow in Opera Philadelphia’s new PIPE UP! series.
The series will feature free and paid events, and is currently scheduled to run through November, with more events to be announced. “We want the Wanamaker Building to come alive with all of our voices, and plenty of music, visual art, film, dance, and community,” Anthony Roth Costanzo, General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia, says in a press statement. “We are thrilled to partner with so many amazing artists and organizations in Philadelphia and beyond to enliven this space once again.”
The opening week will feature two free concerts, both headed by Peter Richard Conte, who’s been playing the Wanamaker since 1990. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Conte and fellow organist Andrew Ennis will perform music from their new album Duo. At the end of the week, on Friday, Oct. 17, Conte will be joined by the Opera Philadelphia Chorus and Director of Music & Chorus Elizabeth Braden for an evening of operatic favorites.
Future concerts will include The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, performing with Conte and conductor Andrew Ennis, on Oct. 25; and the star bel canto tenor Lawrence Brownlee, the Artistic Advisor for Opera Philadelphia, performing an evening
of arias, on Nov. 4.
In partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, PIPE UP! will also feature a window display through December from interdisciplinary artist Sāgar Kāmath. Kāmath’s work will feature a collage of characters, instrumentalists, singers, audience members and set design elements intended to classical imagery associated with opera. The display is to be created during October’s Mural Arts Month, and passersby are invited to stop in and experience the art as it’s being made.
PIPE UP! and the return of the Wanamaker Organ are made possible by a $1 million grant from the Wyncote Foundation, as well as support from TF Cornerstone and The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
For the full list of events through 2025, visit Opera Philadelphia online.