Organ in distress
Hillen orgel Grote Kerk Breda. Foto: Jan Korebrits
The organ is in a state of disrepair. The Hillen organ in the Grote Kerk Breda is in poor condition and in danger of becoming unplayable if it is not restored soon.
'The Blue Beauty', as renowned Slovak organist Zuzana Ferjenčiková calls the Hillen organ, loses air which is needed to power the organ pipes. The organ is also tuned too high to play together with other instruments.
Support the Hillen organ
To restore the Hillen organ, a total of € 1.2 million is needed. Through support from various funds and private donors, we have already secured a large part of that amount.
But we still have a long way to go: you can help us raise the last 250,000 euros we need to finance the restoration.
Contemporary use
The historic sound asset of the Hillen organ must be preserved for the future. We also have the aspiration to add a second digital console so that the audience sees the organist playing and the instrument can be used even better for crossover programming and ensemble playing. A great example is the Canto Ostinato Immersive, performed by Aart Bergwerff and Wishful Singing.
Detail Hillen orgel Grote Kerk Breda. Foto: Jan Korebrits
A rich history
The Hillen organ in the Grote Kerk Breda is a real gem. It was completed in its current form by organ builders D.A. Flentrop in 1969. The manner in which the most recent addition to the organ was carried out is typical of the work of this organ builder in the 1960s, giving the instrument a unique place in the period of post-war reconstruction. In addition, part of the organ dates back to the early 16th century. The Nassaus, ancestors of our royal family including Henry III of Nassau and René de Chalon, will have listened to the sounds of this organ.
