Ted Alan Worth (November 5, 1935 – December 27, 1998) was an American church and concert
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...
, recording artist, and entrepreneur of the pipe organ.
Biography
An associate of
Virgil Fox
Virgil Keel Fox (May 3, 1912 in Princeton, Illinois – October 25, 1980 in Palm Beach, Florida) was an American organist, known especially for his years as organist at Riverside Church in New York City, from 1946 to 1965, and his flamboyant "H ...
, he performed during his career on some of the largest
pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
s in the United States and made numerous
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
recordings.
Between 1966 and 1978 he toured throughout the U.S. and Canada with organist Andy Crow as the Worth/Crow Duo; the duo were managed on the tour by
Columbia Artists Management
Columbia Artists Management (CAMI) was an international talent management agency. On August 29, 2020, the agency announced plans to shut down amid a disturbance in business caused by the " prolonged pandemic environment".
History
Based in New Yor ...
.
In November 1983 he played the inaugural concert on the Ruffatti organ at the Ruth Barrus Concert Hall of Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho).
As the American representative for
Fratelli Ruffatti
Famiglia Artigiana Fratelli Ruffatti (''Ruffatti Brothers, Family of Artisans'') is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Padua, Italy.
History
In 1940, Antonio Ruffatti and his two brothers founded the firm of Famiglia Artigiana Fratelli Ruffa ...
, he oversaw the design of major installations such as the organ in
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco, CA,
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA and the
Crystal Cathedral organ in Garden Grove, CA.
He is buried in the cemetery of Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge National Historical Park.
Selected discography
* ''Ted Alan Worth - Legacy V'' (1965) Aeolian-Skinner Organ of 113-ranks at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
A5001CD* ''Tribute'' Re-release of a 1969 recording made on the two-manual, 23-rank Ruffatti organ at Our Lady of Grace Church in Johnston, Rhode Island.
rgans Arts* ''Ted Alan Worth in Concert on the Rodgers Touring Organ'' (1978) Rogers "Black Beauty" Touring Organ,
* ''Praise to the Lord'' (1978) with the San Francisco Civic Corale Chamber Chorus. Rodgers Classic Series 250 with Pipes
rganarts WSA-770515* ''Ted Alan Worth performs on the Largest American Organ in Europe'' (1982) Rogers Organ, Auditorium of San Francisco in the Cáceres Arts Complex, Cáceres, Spain
enterline CPI 8004/5; 2-LP set* ''Music From The Curtis Organ'', Ted Alan Worth (1988) Curtis Sesquicentennial Organ Austin, Irvine Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
ORS CD-141601* ''Pipes Alive!'' Ted Alan Worth - Great Skinner Organ at Girard College Chapel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TR9301CD
References
American classical organists
American male organists
1935 births
1998 deaths
20th-century classical musicians
20th-century American musicians
20th-century organists
20th-century American male musicians
Male classical organists
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