Originally located at the old Fredonia Normal School in the village of Fredonia, the Schlicker Organ has been the pride of SUNY Fredonia and Rockefeller Arts Center since 1969.
This instrument was designed and temporarily installed in January 1961 in the "Old Main" auditorium on Temple Street by the Schlicker Organ Company, Inc. of Buffalo, NY.
It was relocated in its present position during the spring of 1969. It is the largest college pipe organ in Western New York, with 2,459 pipes. It tips the scales at over eight tons.
The aterisks in the list of specifications below identify the tonal resources added during the re-installation.
The Trompeta Real (Regal Trumpet) was the personal gift of the builder, Herman L. Schlicker, and was given in memory of Dr. Herbert Douglas (left), the first Dean of Men at this college.
In 1932, Dr. Douglas was chairman of the Music Committee of the 1st Presbyterian Church in Dunkirk and played a key role in hiring Schlicker's newly-established company to install the congregation's pipe organ.
Following its move to King Concert Hall, the organ was dedicated with a series of concerts during the 1969-70 academic year. 
Performances included:
• John Hoffman, Oct. 22, 1969
• David Craighead, Jan. 29, 1970
• Marilyn Mason (left), Feb. 20, 1970
• John Hoffmann and assisting artists, April 27, 1970.
Marilyn Mason was the third performer in the Dedication Series. Her program consisted of Edmund Haines' "Suite for Organ," "Magnificat du 8.em ton en sol Majeur" by LeClerc, J.S. Bach's "Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C," "Variations on a Recitative, Opus 40," by Arnold Schoenberg and pieces by Marcel Dupre and Anthon van der Horst.
Eric Miller (red shirt) and Louis Rothenbueger of Heritage Pipe Organs move on of the organ's 16-foot pipes .
King Concert Hall Organ Gets Needed Repairs
Excerpt from "Among Friends," Sept. 2000, Volume 17, Number 1. Written by Traci Langworthy. Employees associated with the company that installed King Concert Hall's pipe organ more than 30 years ago were at the Arts Center this summer to complete more than $10,000 in repairs to the majestic Schlicker instrument.
The most costly work involved the repair and reinforcement of some of the organ's largest pipes, including two 16-foot pipes that were collapsing at their "mouths" due to their age and weight.
In addition to the more minor repair of the worn cable carrying electrical signals from the instrument's console, Heritage Pipe Organs of West Valley also resheathed five bellows wihich are original to the nearly 40-year-old, massive instrument. The repair work, in particular, has resulted in a remarkable improvement in the instrument's sound. The improvements have protected the college's original investment while rightfully rejuvenating the old instrument's original grandeur.
| Great Organ
16' Quintadena - 8' Principal -8' Spitzfloete - 4' Octave |
Swell Organ (Enclosed)
8' Rohrfloete - 8' Viola - 8' Celeste T.C. |
| Pedal Organ
*32' Untersatz (12 pipes) - 16' Principal - 16' Subbass - 8' Octave (12 pipes) - 8' Gedeckt (12 pipes) - 4' Choral Bass - *2' Nachthorn - *III Mixture - *32' Kontra-Fagott (12 pipes) - 16' Posaune - *16 Bassoon (SW) - 8' Trumpet (12 pipes) - *4' Schalmei - 8' Great to Pedal - 8' Swell to Pedal - 8' Positiv to Pedal |
Positiv Organ
*8' Gedeckt - *4' Rohrfloete - *2' Principal - 1 1/3' Larigot - *1' Siffloete - *IV Scharf - *8' Krummhorn - * Tremolo |
The Schlicker organ receives regular tunings and maintenance.
King Concert Hall can be rented for recitals and exhibitions. Dates are limited.
Please call Rockefeller Arts Center Operations Manager
and Technical Director Eric Hadley
(716) 673-3218
for more information.