Parish Organist and the Organ

Meet Travis Catello

Travis Catello has been a staff member of Immaculate Conception Church since 1998. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont, where he studied the organ with professor Wayne Schneider. He has continued organ studies with David Morse in Providence, RI, and recently with pianist/organist Rodger Vine in Boston, MA. Mr. Catello is native of Berlin, NH, where he began playing the organ for mass at St. Anne Church at the age of 14. Since that time, he has served as organist for St. Anne Church, St. Kieran Church both of Berlin, and St. Louis de Gonzague of Nashua.

Having provided music for many masses, ceremonies, celebrations, graduations, and social events, Mr. Catello has become one of the leading musicians in the diocese. He has played extensively throughout New England in churches, schools, colleges, and other public venues. He is accompanist on both piano and organ, and has recently begun playing occasional solo recitals on the organ.

He also teaches private lessons and tunes pianos. He has served as director and pianist for the parish Life Teen Music Ministry. He is director of the parish Children's and Youth choirs. He is also a regular accompanist for masses at the Parish of the Transfiguration in Manchester, NH. Mr. Catello enjoys playing solo organ preludes and postludes each Sunday at all the morning masses. He has an extensive repertoire of pieces ranging from the earliest compositions for the instrument, right up to the music written by living composers.

Following the dedication of the new organ in 2004, he has produced a recording on the organ entitled: "Spirit of Organ". Copies of the CD may be purchased in the parish bookstore. Travis enjoys travelling abroad, learning about foreign culture, tasting exotic cuisine, and playing as many organs as possible along the way, and enjoys capturing all of these experiences with his camera!!

You can enjoy listening to Travis perform by selecting the video link below. He performs the Final from Sonata no. 1 by Guilmant as he plays it on this Skinner organ, one of his favorites. Listen for the thunderous 32' Bombarde on the final chord.

The Organ at ICC

The organ of Immaculate Conception Church is a 3-manual Allen Renaissance digital instrument. It has a draw-knob console with fifty stops, and an additional 99 MIDI voices. It was installed in the new church during the summer of 2004, and dedicated at a concert performed by Travis Catello on October 15, 2004. The organ is capable of playing the entire repertoire for organ and also can produce the sounds of most of the instruments of the orchestra. The organ is used to accompany all the Sunday morning liturgies as well as most of the parish funerals and weddings.