Dobson Pipe Organ Builders is a manufacturer of

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...

s based in Lake City, Iowa. The company was founded in 1974 by Iowa native Lynn A. Dobson, who served as President and Artistic Director until his retirement in February, 2020, when long-time colleague John A. Panning assumed ownership. The company employs 18, and has produced almost 100 new instruments. It has also restored a number of historic organs, and tunes and maintains a variety of instruments in the upper Midwest. First known for the construction of mechanical action organs, the company has since the 1990s also undertaken the construction of organs with electric actions, most employing slider windchests. Notable instruments built by Dobson include the organ at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

(which includes some pipes retained from the organ of the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral), and the organ for the

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue at 300 South Broad Street and the corner of Spruce Street, along the stretch known as the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned an ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, the home of the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...

. Major church installations include a 95-rank organ installed at Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas, in 2009, and an 84-rank instrument installed at Independent Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Alabama in 2012. In 2013, Dobson completed a new mechanical action instrument for Merton College Chapel, making the firm one of a very few American organ builders to send its work to England. In 2018, Dobson completed a 126-rank instrument for Saint Thomas Church in New York City; it is the largest instrument built by the firm. In early 2021, the Dobson company completed a 51-rank organ having more than 3,000 pipes for the John and Alice Butler Hall at the

University of Dubuque The University of Dubuque (UD) is a private Presbyterian university in Dubuque, Iowa. About 2,200 students attend the university. History The University of Dubuque has had a long history in Dubuque since its founding in 1852. Early years Adri ...

. The organ's dedicatory recital was held on April 6, 2021. A major fire on June 15, 2021, resulted in the destruction of the company's Lake City, Iowa, plant. One Dobson employee was injured attempting to extinguish the blaze. The four-manual organ under construction for

St James' Church, Sydney St James' Church, commonly known as St James', King Street, is an Australian heritage-listed Anglican parish church located at 173 King Street, in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales. Consecrated in February 1824 and named ...

, Australia, at the time of the conflagration was a total loss and the company personnel were reported to be “heartbroken” by the devastation. On February 28, 2022, Dobson announced plans to build a new facility designed by ASK Studio of Des Moines on its old site. Dobson continued operations and resumed construction of the Sydney organ in rented workshop spaces while its new building was designed and built. On July 5, 2023, the firm broke ground for its new facility, and opened it with a ribbon cutting on September 17, 2024. One month later, Dobson held an open house attended by over 700 people. The firm resumed operations at 200 North Illinois Street with an instrument, Dobson’s 100th new organ, for the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on a full scholarshi ...

being the first constructed in the new workshop.

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External links

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Ltd.
Pipe organ building companies Manufacturing companies based in Iowa Manufacturing companies established in 1974 1974 establishments in Iowa Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United States