Paul Jacobs (organist)

Biography

Paul Abraham Jacobs (born in 1977 in Washington, Pennsylvania) is an American organist.

Paul Jacobs began piano studies, and soon after organ studies, in his hometown of Washington, Pennsylvania, with George Rau. Jacobs then studied at the graduate level both organ (with Dr. John B. Weaver) and harpsichord (with Lionel Party) at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, performing the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach several times during his final semester as an undergraduate student, including once in an 18-hour non-stop marathon concert in Pittsburgh on the 250th anniversary of the composer's death, July 28, 2000. Jacobs subsequently performed the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen in eight American cities, each time in a nine-hour marathon concert. Studies also included the reception of a Distinguished Alumni award from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where he studied organ with Thomas Murray.

In 2003 Jacobs was invited to join the faculty of The Juilliard School and the following year, after the retirement of his former teacher and mentor Dr. John Weaver, was named chairman of its organ department, making him one of the youngest faculty appointments in the school's history. Winning accolades and awareness for the pipe organ from both critics and audiences alike, Jacobs has performed on five continents. His extensive repertoire includes music from the 16-century through contemporary times.

Jacobs is known for playing demanding...
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