News Archive

September 1, 2015

Georges Trépanier promoted to General Manager of Orgues Létourneau

Fernand Létourneau, president and founder of Orgues Létourneau, is pleased to announce the promotion of Georges Trépanier as his successor in the role of General Manager after more than 36 years. Mr. Trépanier has occupied the position since March 1, 2015. M. Trépanier gravitated to the field of organ building from a young age as the nephew of M. Létourneau. He possesses a diploma in administration from HEC Montréal’s School of Management and has managed the company’s financial affairs as Controller since 2002. In his new position, M. Trépanier is responsible for all aspects relative to the company’s administration and for implementing the strategic plan as developed with M. Létourneau to assure the company’s continuity.

August 20, 2015

A new Létourneau organ for the Village at Orchard Ridge, Winchester, Virginia

The Village at Orchard Ridge of Winchester, Virginia has recently chosen Orgues Létourneau to design and build a new pipe organ for their chapel. Part of a sprawling retirement community in the Shenandoah Valley, the TVOR chapel is in regular use as a place of worship and for other large community gatherings; the new organ will reside at the front of the chapel to the right of the raised communion platform. The organ’s specification was developed to lead congregational singing with rich, distinctive colours as well as to serve as a teaching instrument. Our Opus 130 will have mechanical key action, electric stop action and sixteen stops; completion is expected in March of 2016.

July 17, 2015

Létourneau to restore the 1901 Casavant pipe organ at the parish of St-Paul Apôtre, Chesterville, Québec

Orgues Létourneau recently signed an agreement with the parish of Saint-Paul Apôtre in Chesterville, Québec for the restoration of their Casavant Frères pipe organ Opus 135. Contained within a solid oak case, this tidy instrument was built in 1901 and still plays from its original tubular pneumatic wind chests. The organ has a total of 22 ranks including a rare 8′ Kéraulophone on the Gr-Orgue manual. Work will get underway this autumn with the restoration wrapping up well before Christmas of 2015.

September 22, 2014

Sarah Hawbecker joins the Létourneau team

Orgues Létourneau Limitée is pleased to welcome Sarah Hawbecker as Project Consultant and representative on the east coast of the United States. Ms. Hawbecker is an active recitalist, full-time church musician and winner of numerous competitions; her performances have been broadcast numerous times on the radio program Pipedreams. A native of Illinois, Ms. Hawbecker studied organ and church music with John Ferguson at St. Olaf College and later earned the Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from the Eastman School of Music with Russell Saunders. An active member of the American Guild of Organists, she has served three terms on the AGO’s National Council and also serves on the Board of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians as a regional president. Ms. Hawbecker has served as Organist and Director of Children’s Music at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta, Georgia since 1996.