A 3D Printed Organ Helps Ring in the Near Year in Helsinki
Every year on January 1st, concerts around the world ring in the New Year in a lively and musical way. The traditional New Year’s concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, for example, attracts millions of people every year who do not want to miss the traditional concert. But other cultural venues and capital cities also attract attention with their musical performances at the start of the year. At the Helsinki Music Centre, a 3D-printed organ by organ builder Rieger celebrated its premiere on January 1st and set the mood for 2024. French organist Olivier Latry was on the bench for the organ inauguration, and the 3D-printed Rieger organ is expected to be played by other internationally renowned organists in the following concerts.
The 3D-printed Rieger organ is not only the largest organ in Finland and the whole of Scandinavia, but is one of the largest organs in the world. It combines elements of traditional organ building with modern 3D printing technology and has a total of over 260 meters of sounding pipes and wind lines. These are made of 100% recyclable, Finnish, wood-based UPM Formi 3D biocomposite for a special sound. The Rieger organ is also visually impressive, as the pipes and wind lines are interwoven into a modern sculpture in front of the organ case.
Jan Lehtola and the 3D-printed organ (photo credits: JUHANI NIIRANEN / HS).
In terms of sound, the organ covers a broad spectrum. As it is a hybrid organ, it follows neither geographical nor music-historical sound ideals and allows for a diverse repertoire. It offers various features for sound possibilities and playing technique. The movable soundboard, for example, turns the organ into a super synthesizer that controls the sound. This is particularly interesting for organists who specialize in more modern pieces. Yesterday, listeners were able to enjoy the different sounds, as the program ranged from Johann Sebastian Bach to the Romantic period and the 20th century.
“One of our goals in the whole project was that the sound of the organ would surround the listener and come to the skin,” explained Finnish organist Jan Lehtola who was involved in the project from the very beginning. However, the aforementioned goal was also associated with a number of challenges.
For one thing, organs in concert halls have not always shown their value, as the acoustics in concert halls are much more sensitive than in churches. In addition, organs need space to work so that their sound can fully develop. If an organ is placed with its back to the wall, for example, this leads to a loss of sound and results in an unsatisfactory sound experience. In addition to the sound challenges, there were also financial hurdles. Although the Musiikkitalo, which was completed in 2011, envisaged a concert organ from the outset, the organ project was only able to take shape in 2015 for financial reasons.
From Idea to the Completed 3D Printed Organ
The instrument came a long way before completion, both in terms of time and geography. The 3D printed Rieger organ is an international project that involved a panel of expert organists from the very beginning. The final organ with its 124 parts was the result of a collaboration between Finland, Spain and Austria. UPM from Finland supplied the biocomposite material used, which was printed into shape in Burgos, Spain. The 3D-printed pipes were then sent to the organ builder Rieger in Vorarlberg, who was commissioned to build the organ.
After the organ was hand-built, the parts were shipped to Helsinki and reassembled in the concert hall. Each pipe was adjusted on site, so it is hardly surprising that it takes several weeks to months to build an organ. The project was completed at the end of 2023 and the 3D printed organ was officially inaugurated yesterday. “The organ sounds magnificent. It’s wonderful to open the concert hall to the public and enjoy both the music and the visual experience that our new organ and performers will provide starting from January,“ commented Kaisa Näreranta, Executive Director of the Helsinki Music Centre Foundation and Project Manager of the Organ project
The impressive 3D-printed organ pipes (photo credits: Musiikkitalo).
The manufacturing process and the material both played a role in the sound. The wood-based biocomposite used has acoustic qualities and is ideally suited to large-format 3D printing, as it shrinks very little and cools quickly. A sustainable approach was also adopted for the organ project. The material is 100% recyclable and 3D printing is also considered a sustainable manufacturing method.
However, there were also other reasons behind the decision to use additive manufacturing for the organ. 3D printing is reliable, flexible and cost-efficient. The latter in particular played an important role, as the costs for the organ project amounted to more than 4 million euros, of which around 3.17 million was spent on the manufacture of the instrument alone.
To promote the project and produce more organ concerts, the Helsinki Music Centre Foundation launched a naming campaign for the organ pipes. The material manufacturer UPM also participated through its Biofore Share and Care program, highlighting its support for the arts: “At UPM, we have a long tradition of supporting the arts, and we wanted to participate in the Helsinki Music Centre Foundation’s donation campaign. We have named all the fantastic facade pipes of the organ,” concluded Hanna Maula, Vice President of Communications at UPM. Read more about the 3D-printed Rieger organ on the Musiikkitalo website HERE.
The 3D-printed Rieger organ is the largest organ in Scandinavia (photo credits: Musiikkitalo).
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*Titelbildnachweis: Musiikkitalo
