The organ is a keyboard instrument that produces sound by driving air through pipes or, in some modern instruments, through electronic means. The player controls multiple keyboards, called manuals, and a pedalboard played with the feet. Stops select different sets of pipes to change the tone color and volume.

Pipe organs are often permanent installations in churches and concert halls. Their vast range of dynamics and colors allows a single player to create the effect of a full ensemble. The repertoire spans sacred music, concert works, and transcriptions. Famous instruments and the buildings that house them are destinations for performers and listeners alike.

Playing the organ requires coordination of hands and feet and an understanding of registration—the art of combining stops. The instrument’s power and sustained tone have made it central to liturgical music for centuries.

• Keyboard instrument using pipes or electronics
• Multiple manuals and pedalboard
• Stops select different tone colors
• Central to church and concert traditions