Holy Cross Chapel Artist Series to Feature French Organists Francis Chapelet and Uriel Valadeau

The College of the Holy Cross presents the final two concerts of the season in its Chapel Artist Series. Abraham Ross ’16, a Holy Cross Organ Scholar, will perform on Sunday, April 3 and French organists Francis Chapelet and Uriel Valadeau will perform on Sunday, April 10. Both concerts will be held in St. Joseph Memorial Chapel at 3 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

Ross, a music major and an Italian minor from Holden, Maine, currently studies under the direction of James David Christie, Distinguished Artist in Residence and College organist. Ross has performed recitals throughout New England and traveled to France with the Oberlin Conservatory Organ department in January of 2014 to study historic organs. He regularly accompanies the Boston College University Chorale and is a highly sought after freelance organist-harpsichordist in the Boston area. Ross was a recipient of an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant in 2014 to study early baroque organs and 17th century organ music in Italy. He was the winner of the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists Regional Competition for Young Organists in 2015.

Ross will perform music by J.S. Bach, Nicolaus Bruhns, Vincent Lübeck, Paul Hindemith and August Gottfried Ritter.

Chapelet is one of the most outstanding organists of his generation. Born in France in 1934, he has had one of the most distinguished careers in France’s organ history. Chapelet is a specialist in the music of J. S. Bach, classical French music, and Spanish early baroque repertoire. In addition, he is one of the world’s leading authorities on the restoration of historic organs in both France and Spain. Chapelet is also considered one of France’s finest improvisers and he is able to improvise in both historic and modern styles. Chapelet’s protégé, Valadeau is one of the leading organists of the young generation in France today. He is one of the leading forces in the organ world in the south of France and Spain and is in demand for recitals. Like his professor, Valadeau is a gifted improviser. He will travel to Brazil this coming August to play the dedication concerts of two instruments.

Chapelet and Valadeau’s performance will include works of J. S. Back, works by early Spanish masters, and several improvisations in historic styles.