Gerard Gillen facts for kids

Gerard Thomas Gillen (born 16 August 1942) is a very famous Irish organist. He is also a Professor Emeritus (meaning a retired professor who still holds their title) of Music at Maynooth University. As an organist, he has played music all over the world and recorded many CDs. Gillen is very interested in Catholic church music, how organs are built, and how music was played in the past.

Gerard Gillen's Early Life and Studies

Gillen was born in Dublin, Ireland. He first learned about playing the organ from John Clery, who was the organist at the Franciscan Church of the Immaculate Conception.

He studied piano in Dublin with Elizabeth Costello. He learned to play the organ with William Sydney Greig. Gillen won a scholarship to University College Dublin (UCD) and graduated with top honors.

He then received another scholarship from the Arts Council of Ireland. This allowed him to study the organ further in Belgium with Flor Peeters. During this time, he met other famous musicians like Marcel Dupré, Maurice Duruflé, and Olivier Messiaen. In 1966, he went back to Belgium for more studies at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp. There, he earned a special award called a "Prix d'Excellence."

Later, he studied at Queen's College, Oxford in England. He researched keyboard music from the 1600s and earned a degree called a BLitt. In 1992, Oxford University made him a John Betts Fellow.

His Career and Roles

When Gillen returned to Ireland in 1969, he became a music lecturer at UCD. In 1985, he moved to St Patrick's College, Maynooth (now Maynooth University). He became the head of the Music department until he retired in 2007.

He helped the music department grow a lot. He taught students about performing music and music history. He also started new courses in Music Technology and Church Music. He led the university's choir too. The department became one of the biggest in Ireland and the UK. He is still a Professor Emeritus there.

From 1976 to 2018, Gillen was the main organist at St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin. He retired after 42 years of playing there.

Since 1993, he has led a special committee. This group advises on church music for the Irish Episcopal Commission.

Gillen also helped edit a series of music books called Irish Musical Studies. He worked on these with Harry White. Many students learned to play the organ from Gerard Gillen. Some of them became famous musicians themselves, like Gerald Barry.

Special Awards and Honors

Gerard Gillen has received many important awards and titles during his long career. These include:

• The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art from Austria.
• Being an Officer in the Order of the Crown from Belgium.
• Being a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France.
• Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
• Receiving an honorary doctorate from the Pontifical University of Maynooth.
• Being named a Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory by the Vatican.

Amazing Performances

Gillen is known around the world for his organ concerts. He has played in many famous places. These include the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Ulster Hall in Belfast. He has also played in grand cathedrals in cities like Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Canterbury, and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He has performed in Vienna, Salzburg, Madrid, and many other European cities.

Gillen helped start the Dublin International Organ and Choral Festival. He was the artistic director for this festival from 1990 to 2000. He also advised the National Concert Hall in Dublin. He helped them install their large concert organ in 1991. He is still one of the honorary organ curators for the hall.

Gillen was one of the organists at a very large church service. This was the Statio Orbis mass for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress. It took place in Croke Park, Dublin, on 17 June 2012.

He also played the organ for the official song of the World Meeting of Families 2018. This song was called "A Joy For All The Earth." It was written by Ephrem Feeley and recorded in Blackrock College Chapel.

Recordings and Broadcasts

Many of Gillen's concerts have been recorded and played on national radio stations. These include RTÉ in Ireland, BBC in the UK, and stations in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Estonia, and the USA.

He has made many recordings over the years. Some of these include:

• Playing the 1869 Walker organ at St Audoen's, Dublin (1971).
• Playing music by Buxtehude and Walther on the Chapel Organ of Trinity College, Dublin (1972).
• Bach at Bray (1976).
• Messe pour les Couvents on the Rieger organ of St Michael's Dun Laoghaire (1990).
• Baroque Highlights (1994).
• Best Loved Sacred Music with St. James's Choir and Niamh Murray (1997).
• Franck and Guilmant: Gerard Gillen Plays the Great Organ of St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin (2002).

Selected Writings

Gerard Gillen has also written and edited many books and articles about music. He often focused on Irish music and church music.

Books he edited include:

• Irish Musical Studies 1: Musicology in Ireland (1990)
• Irish Musical Studies 2: Music and the Church (1992)
• Irish Musical Studies 3: Music and Irish Cultural History (1995)
• Irish Musical Studies 6: A Historical Anthology of Irish Church Music (2001)

Some of his articles include:

• "The Organ Music of Franz Liszt" (1972).
• "The Rieger Organ in St. Michael's Church, Dún Laoghaire" (1975).
• "Church Music in Dublin, 1590–1900" (1979).
• "William Telford and the Victorian Organ in Ireland" (1992).
• "Irish Catholics and Hymns" (2000).
• "The Pipe Organ: A Centuries-old Heritage" (2006).
• "The Organ: A Liturgical Force of Considerable Significance" (2015).