14 Tips for Organizing a Successful International Organ Festival

Have you always wanted to organize an international organ festival but were afraid or didn't know the steps which are necessary for such a serious endeavor? In this article, I will give you 14 tips you could use before organizing a successful international organ festival.

1) Decide who will organize the festival. If you work at a church, perhaps your church could be the organizer. Other options include founding a concert organization or approaching an existing organization for hosting a festival. Since you are the initiator of the project, you can be the Artistic Director of the festival.

2) Decide on the name of your festival. Think about how your festival will be named. The name could include the name of the city or the institution, or the theme etc.

3) Decide on the venue. Think about were your festival is going to take place - a church or a concert hall.

4) Decide on the date. Think about the specific time frame for your festival. Is it going to be around Christmas, or Easter, or in the summer or in the fall?

5) Consider the instrument. It is important you think about what kind of organ will be available for you and what kind of style this organ is built it.

6) Consider the theme of your festival. It is best not just to put a few concerts together. Instead think about the general idea or the theme. Your festival could be structured around some specific historical period or national style or organ composer.

7) Decide on the number of concerts. Think about how many concerts will you have in your festival. I find that the minimum number for a festival is 3. If you are just starting out, perhaps aim low and later expand to more concerts.

8) Choose organists. Think about the people who are going to play for you. Do you have your favorite organists whom you could invite? It is always a good idea to invite your friends and people whom you know and trust to play. Otherwise you can do some research.

9) Communicate with your congregation. If you are planning this festival at your church, talk with your pastor or priest and with some people from your congregation about it and ask for their support.

10) Calculate the expenses. Think about the expenses which are going to occur. Your budget will depend on your expenses.

11) Find private or corporate sponsors. Write down all the expenses of the festival and approach possible sponsors for support and donations. It is best to talk to them in person.

12) Look for foundations. There are plenty of cultural foundations available which might consider giving you some financial assistance.

13) Approach the city government for financial support. A lot of times the government of the particular city also supports cultural programs like this which help to spread the word about the city.

14) Contact the organists. Write or call your prospective artists who you think would be good for your festival. Describe your festival and the conditions of participation.

Although there are many more steps you could take in organizing your festival, the above points are a good start to ensure that your festival is going to be successful.

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