Organology × Genealogy is an autoethnographic artistic research project linking a compositional study of the organ with an exploration of my Jewish-Roman family history through two interrelated works drawing on Rome’s pipe organs and examining the intersections of sacred and secular spaces and the layered historical narratives embedded in the city’s topography. The first part will be a cycle of chamber works positioning the organ within varying instrumental contexts, each written for a specific instrument located near a site connected to my maternal ancestry. Together, these site-specific pieces form a musical family tree, linking the life of my grandfather, born in Rome in 1920, with the distinctive affordances of each organ and its acoustic space. The second part extends this exploration to a larger symphonic scale through a new work for organ and orchestra, commissioned by Wells Cathedral for the 2027–28 season, transforming the intimate studies into a broader orchestral canvas.

The photograph of Udi Perlman was taken by Kai Bienert.