Rudolf von Beckerath

Who was Rudolf von Beckerath?

Rudolf von Beckerath was a German master organ builder. He was born in Munich, but grew up in Hamburg, where his parents moved the year he was born. He initially pursued an interest in mechanical engineering. After encountering the quality organ building in northern German instruments, particularly that of master builder Arp Schnitger his interest shifted. He trained as a cabinet maker at the art school in Hamburg, while studying the fundamentals of organ building theory on his own. In the cellar of his parent's home, he built a small house-organ. This was heard in a radio transmission from the house and in concerts there.

His training continued in France, where he moved on the recommendation of Hans Henny Jahnn. In Châtillon-sous-Bagneux, near Paris, he entered the workshop of Victor Gonzalez.

North American churches with noteworthy von Beckerath organs include Trinity Lutheran Church,St. Michael's Church, Saint Joseph's Oratory Montreal, Quebec, the H. Frank Bozyan Memorial Organ at Dwight Chapel, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, and St. Paul Cathedral, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.