Local artist profile: Thomas Heywood

THIS week we chat with internationally acclaimed concert organist Thomas Heywood, who also owns Langley Estate in White Hills and hosts regular performances in its 1873-built Lauriston Chapel.

What motivated you to become a classical organist?

I was very fortunate to be born into a Melbourne musical family.

When I was six, I had to be removed from the Melbourne Town Hall during a concert by my grandpa and walked up and down Swanston Street, as I was getting too excited listening to the Grand Concert Organ – which is the largest and most valuable musical instrument in the southern hemisphere!

From there I became truly fascinated with the pipe organ.

How would you describe your style?

I developed my own style with, as ‘they’ say – practice, practice and practice!

I always loved the grand romantic style of the concert organ tradition that flourished from the 1840s to the 1930s.

That involves the performance of large-scale arrangements of pieces composed for other instruments – including pieces composed for full symphony orchestras – on grand pipe organs, as (it’s) a one-person orchestra when used in that way.

Which other organists inspire you?

There’s been so many amazing organists over the last centuries – as the pipe organ is the oldest keyboard instrument known to humankind – dating back over 2,300 years.

The lives of the legendary 19th century concert organist W.T. Best, and the world’s most famous organist in the early 20th century, Edwin H. Lemare were both hugely influential to me.

What are some highlights you have from your career?

There’s so many, it’s hard to say!

My wife Simone and I undertook international solo tours for many years and we met so many wonderful people across Europe, Russia, the UK, North America, Asia and New Zealand.

We stayed at Windsor Castle for a week when performing a solo concert there – that was amazing.

Also performing a solo concert for the 150th celebrations of the huge Mormon Tabernacle Organ in Salt Lake City was fabulous.

We gave season return performances on the largest pipe organ in Austria, and got to stay and sleep in the very room of the great 19th century composer Anton Bruckner twice!

Performing the opening solo concert on the rebuilt Melbourne Town Hall Grand Organ back in 2001 was a real career highlight too at the time.

How can people check out your work online?

The website for my work as a concert organist is concertorgan.com

Do you have any concerts coming up?

We have lots of concerts happening at Langley.

I’m also working on future programs for the beautiful 1875 pipe organ we installed in Lauriston Chapel last March.

If a young regional aspiring musician was considering taking up the organ, what would you say to encourage them to do so?

I’d say “go for it”!

There are some beautiful pipe organs in greater Bendigo, Castlemaine, Maldon, Inglewood, Echuca, Maryborough, Daylesford and more.

The special thing with pipe organs is that they’re all completely different works of art.

If you’ve learned the piano first, you can certainly start learning the organ!

Once you’ve reached an appropriate standard with the pipe organ, there’s a truly international community of fabulous people waiting to help you and wanting to meet you.

Playing the pipe organ takes you to a new place in your life, connects you with a living tradition, and you’re always finding new instruments you didn’t know existed.

It’s like being in a living art gallery!