MANSFIELD — World-class theatre organist Jelani Eddington will perform in concert at the Renaissance Theatre on its Mighty Wurlitzer on Tuesday, July 5 at 3:30 p.m.
Eddington is in the region as part of the American Theatre Organ Society national convention taking place in Cleveland and northeast Ohio. Tickets for the public are $15 general admission, with first-choice seating available to convention attendees. Tickets are on sale at the Renaissance Box Office and online at MansfieldTickets.com.
The five-day American Theatre Organ Society convention will draw approximately 400 theatre organ enthusiasts and musicians from across the nation to visit 10 historic theatres across the state of Ohio, attending theatre organ concerts at each venue. More information about the convention can be found at www.atos.org/convention-2016.
Jelani Eddington
During the years that Jelani Eddington has given concerts, he has established himself as one of the most prominent and sought-after artists on the concert circuit. Eddington has performed in most of the major concert venues throughout the United States, has toured extensively abroad, and has received numerous awards and recognitions, including his selection as the 2001 Theatre Organist Of The Year.
Jelani Eddington was born in Muncie, Ind., to Louise Eddington and the late Robert Eddington and grew up in a very musical family. Between the interests of his mother, a professional music teacher of many years, and those of his grandmother Florence Arnold, a well-respected piano instructor, it was no surprise when Jelani demonstrated an inclination toward music at a very early age.
Shortly after beginning piano instruction at age 4, Jelani began studying classical piano under the direction of his grandmother. At the age of 8, a trip to hear the 4/42 Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ installed in the Indianapolis, Indiana, Paramount Music Palace restaurant introduced Jelani to the sounds of the theatre pipe organ.
Soon thereafter, he began to pursue classical organ lessons and ultimately began studying theatre organ under the direction of John Ferguson, whose skills as a theatre organ instructor have been highly acclaimed internationally.
At age 13, Jelani won the American Theatre Organ Society’s Young Theatre Organist Competition, prevailing over competitors ages 13 to 21 from the U.S., England, Australia and New Zealand. Jelani remains the youngest competitor ever to win this title. Jelani went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Indiana University in 1996, and later received a Juris Doctor degree from the Yale Law School in 1999, after which time he was admitted to practice law in New York State.
During the course of his concert career, Jelani has been featured at numerous national and regional ATOS conventions, and has toured extensively throughout the world, including numerous concert appearances in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. In addition to his work as an organist, Jelani has also distinguished himself as a concert pianist, appearing recently as a guest pianist for performances of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue and Leroy Anderson’s Piano Concerto in C Major.
In February 2008 Jelani was invited to perform two special performances of Anderson’s concerto with the Tulsa Signature Symphony as part of a celebration of Leroy Anderson’s centennial.
Jelani has also produced and marketed more than 30 theatre organ albums on some of the best-known and most dynamic instruments in the country.
In August 2001, the American Theatre Organ Society honored Jelani’s extensive career as a concert and recording organist by naming him the 2001 Theatre Organist Of The Year. Jelani retains the distinction of being the youngest-ever recipient of this prestigious honor.
