Organ Hall
The building of the Organ Hall has a unique beauty. Initially, the Organ Hall building was designed as the City Bank. In 1902 the Municipal Council of Chisinau launched a competition of architectural projects with a prize of 1,500 rubles, which was a relatively large amount in those days.
The winner was engineer Mihail Cecheru -Cush. The Organ Hall was executed to impress by its monumental forms excellently in classic style, containing some romantic art elements. Before 1974 the building hosted different financial institutions, including the National Bank. The decision to make it a concert hall was taken by the then leader of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ivan Bodil.
The Organ, installed in this magnificent Hall, was made by the “Rieger-Kloss” company from the Czech city Krnov, a factory with strong traditions, well known for the instruments it produces, installed in many cities of the world. The Organ from Chisinau is an electromechanical one, of medium size, containing about 4000 pipes.
The first concert was held on September 15, 1978, played by prominent Soviet organist Harry Y. Grodberg. That concert also featured local opera diva Maria Bieshu. Among the most important cultural events held here is the International Music Festival “Martisor,” International Classical Music Festival “Crescendo,” a festival of contemporary classical music “New Music Days.”