The organ is a keyboard instrument in which sound is produced either by pressurized air flowing through pipes or by electronic and mechanical means.
The organ is distinguished by its grandeur and versatility, and has been central to sacred, concert, and popular music for over two millennia.
The earliest ancestor of the organ is the hydraulis, invented in ancient Greece around the 3rd century BC by Ctesibius of Alexandria. This water-powered instrument used air pressure regulated by water to produce sound through pipes, and it quickly spread to Rome, where it was used in arenas and public spectacles.
In the Medieval period (9th-14th centuries), the organ entered Christian churches, evolving into large instruments with multiple ranks of pipes. By the 13th century, organs were permanent fixtures in cathedrals. During the Renaissance period (15th-16th centuries), builders refined the tonal variety of the instrument, adding stops and manuals (keyboards). The organ became a symbol of both civic pride and religious devotion. The Baroque era (17th-18th centuries) was the golden age of organ building, with masters like Arp Schnitger in Germany and Silbermann in France. Composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach elevated organ music to its artistic peak. In the 19th century, romantic organs built by designers like Cavaillé-Coll in France expanded expressive power, enabling the creation of symphonic textures. In the 20th century and beyond, the rise of electronic and digital organs, notably the Hammond Organ (1935), brought the instrument into jazz, gospel, and rock, while pipe organs remain central to classical and liturgical traditions.
Three main types of organs include pipe organs (the traditional form, using air-driven pipes of varying lengths and materials, are generally found in churches, concert halls, and civic spaces), non-piped organs (which include reed organs like harmoniums, and electronic/digital organs like the Hammond, which uses reeds, circuits, or digital sampling rather than pipes), and mechanical organs (automated instrumens such as barrel organs and fairground organs, which play pre-programmed music via pinned cylinders or punched cards).
In playing the instrument, organists use both hands and feet, utilizing manuals (keyboards), typically two to five each, controlling different divisions of pipes or sounds, as well as a pedalboard, which is played with the feet, providing bass lines, and stops and couplers, which allow the performer to combine or alter timbres, and mastery of registration (choosing sound combinations).
The organ's repertoire spans centuries and genres, including sacred music (Gregorian chant accompaniments, choral preludes, and liturgical works), baroque masterpieces (Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Buxtedhude's chorale settings), romantic works (Franck's Six Pieces, Widor's Organ Symphonies), and modern and contemporary (Messiaen's mystical works, as well as jazz and rock classics featuring the Hammond organ).
Five of the more famous organists include Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), César Franck (1822–1890), Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), and Marcel Dupré (1886–1971).
The organ is among the largest, most complex, and enduring of all musical instruments.
Below, we have assembled a collection of informational or instructional resources relating to organs, organists, or organ music. E-commerce sites offering organs or organ resources for sale may be found in the Musical Instruments section of our guide.
Recommended Resources
Formed in 1896, the AGO is an international organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the United States. Headquartered in New York City, membership in the organization is not limited to professional organists but is open to anyone with an interest in organs and organ music. The AGO is geographically divided into seven regions and 298 chapters throughout the U.S. and several other countries. Membership information, events, and contacts are featured.
https://www.agohq.org/
Carousel Organ Association of America
The COAA is a membership organization devoted to enjoying, preserving, and sharing knowledge about outdoor mechanical musical instruments such as carousel and band organs. Its website is the association's hub for news, event schedules, membership details, and other resources. The COAA publishes the "COAA Journal" in quarterly issues plus an annual band-organ rally edition for members, featuring articles, announcements, and restoration information, and also sponsors rallies and other events.
https://coaa.us/
First Stop! is a one-stop resource about the pipe organ produced by the Royal College of Organists, aimed at learners, teachers, event organisers, and general enthusiasts. Featured playlists include explorations of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, introductions called "My First Encounter," a First Stops video series with Richard McVeigh, an A-Z of the organ, lessons for new organists, and films on organ construction. Main categories include Learn, Engage, Organ World, and Schools.
https://firststoporgan.com/
Written by Morwenna Campbell-Smith, The Lady Organist is a blog about organ playing, organists' lifestyle, reviews, resources, and campaigns. The main topics include organ playing, organ music, pedals and pedalling, pianist-to-organist transition, lifestyle pieces for organists, reviews, campaigns, and projects. Others include beginners' guides for weddings and funerals, survival skills for reluctant organists, and coverage of organ restoration and community organs.
https://www.theladyorganist.com/
Founded in 1956, the not-for-profit organization is primarily composed of pipe organ enthusiasts interested in the instrument's design, construction, conservation, and use in musical performance. Its activities include promoting an active interest in the organ and its buildings, particularly those in North America, through publishing efforts, events, and the preservation of library and archival materials. Historic organs and the organization's publications are featured.
https://organhistoricalsociety.org/
The Organ Library is the collection maintained by the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and is housed at the School of Theology on the campus of Boston University. It serves as a repository of music written or transcribed for pipe organ, books on organ history and performance, and archives/papers of notable concert organists. For borrowing, research visits, or detailed catalog searches, the Organ Library may be consulted through the Boston Chapter of BU channels.
https://www.organlibrary.org/
Organ Repertory is a free online audio library dedicated to organ and harpsichord recordings, featuring an extensive collection of historically informed performances by Dr. Wolfram Syré. Its audio library includes between 2,000 and 2,500 recordings of organ and harpsichord works spanning the Baroque and Romantic repertoires, including many rarely performed pieces and standard masterworks. Works are organized by composer, with extensive coverage spanning from early music to Romantic composers.
https://organ-repertory.de/
Organ.Media hosts the Aeolian-Skinner Pipe Scales Archive, a collection of preserved shop documents, scale tables, images, and JSON data relating to organ-pipe scales and measurements used by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company. Included is the historical background, including the merger of Skinner and Aeolian, detailed HTML tables, and linked images showing pipe diameters, conversion charts, zinc gauges, and opus references. The data is available under a Creative Commons Attribution.
https://organ.media/
Run by Philip Norman of Philip Norman Music Service, this is a free resource and booking service designed for church and freelance organists. It offers a searchable directory to find or hire organists, provides places to post freelance and permanent job requests, and options to advertise with display ads. The site employs a mixed freemium model, which includes ads and listing fees, monetizing visibility and services around a free core directory, while offering paid upgrades and advertising.
https://organistsonline.org/
Run by the Organ Media Foundation, Organlive is a listener-supported Internet audio station devoted to classical organ music. It features a growing collection of over 29,000 tracks of organ music recorded worldwide that includes pipe organs, electronic organs, and combination instruments. The site offers a "Listen Now" streaming option and separate pages for "Library," "Schedule," and "Contact." Donation and membership details are provided, along with an option to submit recordings.
https://www.organlive.com/
Pro Organo is a classical organ-focused record label and online store selling physical media (CD, DVD, Blu-ray), some MP3 downloads, musical scores, videos, and ringtones. Pro Organo titles are available on many streaming and download platforms served by Naxos (Apple Music, Spotify, Idagio, Pandora, Naxos Music Library). Physical products are shipped worldwide from South Bend, Indiana, with free shipping options for orders of $150 or more. Payment methods are listed.
https://proorgano.com/
