OUR PASSION

At Parsons, we set our hearts, minds and hands to the task of building the grandest of all musical instruments, the pipe organ. A formidable instrument that characterizes yet transcends the human condition, pipe organs built by Parsons serve in leadership roles and are artfully designed and superbly crafted to meet the unique requirements and highest expectations of our clients.

Artisan working on organ piece

“Stoplists are, to paraphrase Ernest Skinner, only scraps of paper. An organ is defined as much by its balance as its tonal content: the bass-to-treble profile of individual stops, the relationship of stops across an entire division, the root level of each division relative to the others, and finally where the Pedal stands and how it supports the whole. From a balance standpoint, Parsons follows a Romantic tradition in which classical discipline is strictly present in the development of choruses, where each division’s dynamic output is purposely terraced. The Great flue chorus reigns high, the Swell is beneath, and the Choir one notch lower still. This structure allows the enclosed departments a wide range, energetic but subordinate, in which an accompanist can register with impunity. ”

– Jonathan Ambrosino
Organ Scholar and Consultant

OUR PEOPLE

The artisans who choose Parsons as the means of engaging in their life’s work do so because they have an innate desire to be a part of something that transcends the ordinary. Once involved, they develop a passion that comes only to those who are driven to create instruments of great beauty and who commit themselves to reach for perfection through the artistry of their craft. Those who design, construct and give voice to the organs built by Parsons find true satisfaction in their work. In the process, they become cherished colleagues and friends. 

Richard “Ric” Parsons

PRESIDENT & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ric.parsons@parsonsorgans.com

Ric Parsons serves as President and Artistic Director at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He began his pipe organ career at a very early age and is a fourth generation organ builder. After receiving degrees in electronic and biomedical engineering technologies in 1979, he and his brother Calvin purchased the firm established by their grandfather in 1921. Ric has overseen the design and execution of each of the firm’s instruments. This has included a broad range of projects, ranging from new mechanical-action organs, to historically based restorations. In addition to 43 years of practical experience, Ric has travelled extensively throughout the US as well as to Italy and France to visit significant instruments.

Ric is a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO) where he has lectured on two occasions as part of their annual educational conferences. He is a current board member and has served as Vice President, and as Secretary of the Institute. In addition, Ric is a past President of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) and has held the office of Vice President. Ric is also a contributor to the Journal of American Organbuilding and The American Organist.

Ric is married with three children, two of whom work in the family business, and fills much of his free time with his three grandchildren. He enjoys volunteering at his church and working endless hours on the business.

Calvin Parsons

Calvin “Cal” Parsons

VP & DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS
cal.parsons@parsonsorgans.com

Cal serves as Vice President and Director of Field Services at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He began his pipe organ career at a very early age and is a fourth generation organ builder. Cal received his degree in electronic technology in 1979, and with his brother Richard, purchased the family business in 1979. Cal is responsible for all of the service and tuning work for the firm. He oversees many of the rebuilding projects, and maintains the organs for approximately 250 contract clients.

Calvin is a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders and has served on several committees. Cal is married and has two grown children.

Ellen Parsons

Ellen Parsons

BUSINESS MANAGER
ellen.parsons@parsonsorgans.com

Ellen joined Parsons Pipe Organ Builders in 1981 and has performed many tasks including tuning assistant and installation crew member. She has been the Business Manager for the past 30-some years.

Married with three grown sons, she enjoys spending her spare time with her three young grandchildren and volunteering at church.

Matthew Parsons

Matthew “Matt” Parsons

PROJECT MANAGER
matt.parsons@parsonsorgans.com

Matt Parsons is a Project Manager at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. Matt has many responsibilities at Parsons from tuning and service work, re-leathering, historic restoration, and new organ building and assembly. After serving in the U S Air Force from 1998 to 2002, Matt graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Keuka College in 2004.

Matt has been a member of the American Institute of Organbuilders since 2006 and has served on the Board and as Vice President of the organization. Matt is also active in the Rochester NY chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). Matt has been on the Board since 2016 and served as Dean of the chapter in 2020. Matt is currently serving as Vice Commander of the Canandaigua American Legion Post 256. Matt, along with the involvement of the Parsons’ staff, is the Curator of Organs at the Eastman School of Music.

Matt is the proud father of a three year old German Shepherd named Dexter. Matt is engaged to a lovely lady named Jen, and a wedding is planned for the summer of 2023.

Matt has a love of music and plays the piano and saxophone. When Matt isn’t working you can find him traveling, walking his dog, tending to his gardens, watching “The Office” for the 38th time, investigating a part-time career in politics, losing weight, writing comedy, reading, or listening to his favorite band Journey.

Timothy Parsons

Timothy “Tim” Parsons

PROJECT MANAGER
tim.parsons@parsonsorgans.com

Tim joined the Parsons team full-time in 2011 after working part-time in his late teens and early 20’s. He’s attended several AIO conferences and is excited to be the fifth generation of Parsons to be in the pipe organ industry.

Tim graduated with a degree in graphic design from Hodges University in Florida. Along with general organ building and project management, he is responsible for advertising and marketing for Parsons.

He is married with twin daughters, a son, and has a golden doodle puppy named Ginger. Tim enjoys his time with his family, coaching youth baseball, golfing, boating, fishing, playing softball and skiing.

Peter Geise

Peter Geise

TECHNICAL DESIGN DIRECTOR
peter.geise@parsonsorgans.com

Peter Geise serves in various capacities at Parsons, from Tuning Foreman to New Organ Assembly and Historic Restoration. He graduated from Houghton College in 2000 with a B.Mus. in Organ Performance as a student of Dr. Judy Congdon, and from the Eastman School of Music in 2002 with a M.M. in Organ Performance as a student of Dr. Hans Davidsson. Following this he spent a year in Sweden as a student at Göteborgs Universitet. His thesis focused on the history of the Italian Baroque organ purchased by Eastman, which has since been installed at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, NY. While in Sweden he worked at GOArt learning about some of the processes of historic organ building discovered during the reconstruction of a 17th century North German-style organ.

Peter is a member of the Rochester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and American Institute of Organbuilders. Peter is currently serving as Music Minister at the Lima Presbyterian Church, Lima, NY, where he directs the adult choir as well as plays the organ for Sunday services.

Duane Prill

Duane Prill

TONAL DIRECTOR & LEAD VOICER
duane.prill@parsonsorgans.com

Duane has served as Tonal Director for Parsons since 1991. He has been responsible for scaling, voicing, and tonal finishing their instruments beginning with Opus 5.  While Duane feels that voicing pipe organs is an ongoing educational process, he credits early influence on his work to collaborative and satisfying projects with organbuilder/voicer Manuel Rosales.

Duane obtained his M. M. degree in Organ Performance from The Eastman School of Music where he studied with Russell Saunders, and his B. M. degree from Ohio Wesleyan University where he studied with Robert A. Griffith. Prior to attending Ohio Wesleyan, Duane studied with Gloria Wendel in his home town of Van Wert, Ohio. Post-graduate studies were with David Craighead.

Duane currently serves as Principal Organist for Asbury First United Methodist Church, Rochester, NY, a position he has held since 1996. He has has been invited to dedicate many Parsons instruments, and has performed throughout the United States and Europe.  He also had served as accompanist for various choral groups in and around Rochester, including the Rochester Oratorio Society, Madrigalia, and Concentus.

Currently a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders, Duane has served as vice-president of that organization. He has served as Dean and Sub Dean of the Rochester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. His compact disc entitled, “Celebrate!” Music for Two Trumpets and Organ, was recorded at the University of Rochester Interfaith Chapel where he served as Organist and staff member.

David McCleary

David McCleary

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
david.mccleary@parsonsorgans.com

David McCleary joined Parsons as a Project Manager in 2011. He is a highly skilled professional trained in areas of process architecture and elongated sales cycles with an emphasis on collaborative relationships. Dave has previously served as National Manager and Vice-President of Sales and Marketing in firms associated the commercial decorative arts industry and has extensive experience in the field of pipe organs.

Dave holds memberships in several chapters of the American Guild of Organists, and is committed to furthering the resurgence of the pipe organ as the superior liturgical musical instrument.

Diane Smith

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
diane.smith@parsonsorgans.com

ORGAN BUILDERS & TECHNICIANS

Nash Baader

Derek Bommelje

Ryett Boni

Joseph Borrelli

Kelly Cleveland

Brian Ebert

Aaron Feidner

Aaron Grabowski

Jacob Koelling

David Kraft

Tina Macaluso

David McCarthy

Samuel Miller

Alexander Parsons

Lane Priest

Dale Smith

Bernard Talty II

Travis Tones

Jacob Wren

Richard “Ric” Parsons

PRESIDENT & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ric.parsons@parsonsorgans.com

Ric Parsons serves as President and Artistic Director at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He began his pipe organ career at a very early age and is a fourth generation organ builder. After receiving degrees in electronic and biomedical engineering technologies in 1979, he and his brother Calvin purchased the firm established by their grandfather in 1921. Ric has overseen the design and execution of each of the firm’s instruments. This has included a broad range of projects, ranging from new mechanical-action organs, to historically based restorations. In addition to 43 years of practical experience, Ric has travelled extensively throughout the US as well as to Italy and France to visit significant instruments.

Ric is a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO) where he has lectured on two occasions as part of their annual educational conferences. He is a current board member and has served as Vice President, and as Secretary of the Institute. In addition, Ric is a past President of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) and has held the office of Vice President. Ric is also a contributor to the Journal of American Organbuilding and The American Organist.

Ric is married with three children, two of whom work in the family business, and fills much of his free time with his three grandchildren. He enjoys volunteering at his church and working endless hours on the business.

Ric Parsons serves as President and Artistic Director at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He began his pipe organ career at a very early age and is a fourth generation organ builder. After receiving degrees in electronic and biomedical engineering technologies in 1979, he and his brother Calvin purchased the firm established by their grandfather in 1921. Ric has overseen the design and execution of each of the firm’s instruments. This has included a broad range of projects, ranging from new mechanical-action organs, to historically based restorations. In addition to 43 years of practical experience, Ric has travelled extensively throughout the US as well as to Italy and France to visit significant instruments.

Ric is a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO) where he has lectured on two occasions as part of their annual educational conferences. He is a current board member and has served as Vice President, and as Secretary of the Institute. In addition, Ric is a past President of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) and has held the office of Vice President. Ric is also a contributor to the Journal of American Organbuilding and The American Organist.

Ric is married with three children, two of whom work in the family business, and fills much of his free time with his three grandchildren. He enjoys volunteering at his church and working endless hours on the business.

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Ric Parsons serves as President and Artistic Director at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. He began his pipe organ career at a very early age and is a fourth generation organ builder. After receiving degrees in electronic and biomedical engineering technologies in 1979, he and his brother Calvin purchased the firm established by their grandfather in 1921. Ric has overseen the design and execution of each of the firm’s instruments. This has included a broad range of projects, ranging from new mechanical-action organs, to historically based restorations. In addition to 43 years of practical experience, Ric has travelled extensively throughout the US as well as to Italy and France to visit significant instruments.

Ric is a colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO) where he has lectured on two occasions as part of their annual educational conferences. He is a current board member and has served as Vice President, and as Secretary of the Institute. In addition, Ric is a past President of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) and has held the office of Vice President. Ric is also a contributor to the Journal of American Organbuilding and The American Organist.

Ric is married with three children, two of whom work in the family business, and fills much of his free time with his three grandchildren. He enjoys volunteering at his church and working endless hours on the business.