Dear customers, friends and acquaintances of Kuhn
In this New Year's email, we are delighted to inform you about this year's events at Kuhn. And there were quite a few this year.
We start with the installation of our small organ in the New Apostolic Church in Affoltern am Albis. With a customised façade, it proudly takes the place of an electronic organ in the newly renovated church interior. Link
Next up is the inauguration of a remarkable relic from the history of Austrian organ building. The idyllic village of Trofaiach is home to one of the oldest organs in Styria and Austria. According to inscriptions, several pipes date back to 1595. The windchests, wave boards and other pipes were built in the 17th century. The case and the free-standing console were renovated in 1829. We have meticulously restored the instrument and revised the voicing. Link
One of the highlights of the year took place shortly afterwards – the inauguration of the new Kuhn organ in St. Martin's Church in Messkirch, Germany. Nestled in the newly renovated Rococo church, directly above the royal box, stands the golden-decorated facade of the new main organ. Much more discreet, almost shy, the choir organ is hidden in the upper sacristy. The two instruments can be played together from the console at the main organ or from a mobile console in the choir room. Link
The final project is another restoration project. Over the course of the year, we had the opportunity to restore the pneumatic Reinisch organ, built in 1919, in Kolsass in Tyrol. The organ posed a challenge due to the limited space available, but it was well worth the effort! Link
The next new construction project takes us back to Baden-Württemberg, more precisely to Waldshut-Tiengen, where a new organ is currently being built in our workshop in the old case.
And also the outlook brings up some now thrilling projects. In October, we signed contracts for two new organs. The first project is practically on our doorstep, in the Protestant Reformed parish of Rapperswil/Jona, where a new Kuhn organ with 36 stops will be inaugurated in 2027. A year later, we will be moving further east, to the wonderful city of Prague. There, we will be building a new instrument in the concert hall of the Academy of Performing Arts in the heart of the old town.
However, 2025 was also a year of farewells – in June, we bid farewell to our Chairman of the Board, Dieter Utz, who took his well-deserved retirement after 28 years at Kuhn Organ Builders. We wish him all the best for more time for himself and his family, good health and many more wonderful organ moments.
As in previous years, we are once again participating in a project for the future of organ music with a donation. We have chosen the Verein Orgel-Nachwuchsförderung VON (Association for the Promotion of Young Organists) – a project at the Zurich University of the Arts. Specifically, the project involves the purchase of a practice organ with 9 stops on 3 manuals, which has been specially designed to enable a wide range of literature to be practised even with few stops.
Before we dive into the new year with renewed energy and enthusiasm, it is now time to recharge our batteries a little, relax and spend some time with our loved ones.
The team at Orgelbau Kuhn wishes you all the best.
Merry Christmas!
Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd
