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The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ School of Performing Arts opens its 2026-27 University Chamber Music Series with a recital by acclaimed organist Andrew Schaeffer at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, in Founders Recital Hall at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

Thanks to the generosity of local donors, the entire series is free and open to the public, continuing the school’s commitment to accessible musical experiences for the Brookings community. No tickets are required.   

Schaeffer, who began organ study at age 11 with David Christiansen, holds degrees from St. Olaf College and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where he studied organ performance with Thomas Murray and improvisation with Jeffrey Brillhart. He is currently a candidate for a doctorate in organ performance at the University of Oklahoma.

Schaeffer serves as organist for Luther Memorial Church in Madison, Wisconsin, and is editor-at-large for The Diapason, the primary journal dedicated to the organ history and performance.

The recital will feature a wide‑ranging program highlighting the expressive capabilities of the Founders Recital Hall organ. Works will include selections by J.S. Bach, César Franck, Flor Peeters and Louis Vierne, among others. In a special collaboration, trumpeter David Reynolds, director of the School of Performing Arts, will join Schaeffer for a rare performance of Thomas Thorley’s Voluntary in D Major.

For more information, contact the SDSU School of Performing Arts at 605-688-5187.