Full Breakdown
John Cage’s 639-Year Organ Performance Nears Its First Chord Change
8/6/2026, 12:48:54 AM
Core Event: A Glacial Concert in Halberstadt
The ORGAN²/ASLSP (“As Slow as Possible”) composition by avant-garde composer John Cage is being performed on a small organ in the medieval Burchardi Church of Halberstadt, eastern Germany. The piece is designed to unfold over centuries, with the organ’s sound sustained by an electric blower and chord changes introduced manually. The most recent alteration added an eighth note, marking the 17th chord change in the work’s progression.
Background & Timeline
The John Cage Organ Project was launched in 2000, and the performance began in 2001 on the composer’s 89th birthday. A silent pause lasted until early 2003, when the first audible chords emerged inside the restored church. The work is scheduled to conclude in 2640, a date chosen to echo the historic 1361 organ that stood in Halberstadt 639 years earlier. The project has already completed roughly 4 % of its intended span.
Official Statements & Responses
Organ builder Johannes Hüfken, who was working on a pipe on July 6, 2026, emphasized the durability of his craftsmanship, noting that the pipes he creates are expected to last at least another 500 years.
Data & Statistics
- Total duration: 639 years (2001 – 2640).
- Completed chord changes: 17, representing about 4 % of the overall timeline.
- Pipe longevity: at least 500 years, according to Hüfken.
- Inheritable “final tickets” for the 2640 finale are priced at 2,640 euros (? $3,045).
Verbatim Quotes
- “I think it really is the organ playing the church and not the other way around,” — Jeffrey Lependorf, executive director of the John Cage Trust in New York
