Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Mocksville, North Carolina
Chapel by the Sea, Clearwater, Florida
Twenty-five years of listening
When I established our firm at the turn of the millennium, my ambitions were shaped by youth and enthusiasm. Like many builders at the beginning of their journey, I imagined that significance would be measured in size, prominence, and visibility. Experience has since taught me otherwise. The true importance of an organ lies not in its scale or pedigree, but in the depth of its relationship with the community it serves and the role it plays in daily worship.
From the beginning, our work has been grounded in traditional mechanical principles—most notably pallet-and-slider windchests—reflecting my European training and a lifelong belief in their musical integrity. At the same time, no instrument has ever left our shop without carrying something new: a refinement, an improvement, or a hard-won lesson learned through experimentation. Progress, for us, has never been optional. Over these twenty-five years, many components have been rebuilt more than once in pursuit of better mechanics and, above all, more compelling musical results…