He was our friend and our 5th Civic Organist. Though his tenure on the Spreckels bench was early in his career (1978-85), Jared stayed connected to the Spreckels Organ Society and was serving on the Board of Trustees at the time of his death in a car accident August 27, 2019.

Organist Jared Jacobsen with Spreckels Organ Co-Curator Dale Sorensen, 2014

Earlier this summer, the Chautauqua Institution, Jared’s eastern home, held a memorial concert for him, and their website maintains a link to his final recorded performance of Handel’s Largo on August 7 last year.

To honor Jared, the Spreckels Organ Society has named its Education Fund for him. This Dedicated Fund underwrites the visits made by elementary school class groups to the Spreckels Organ Pavilion for mini-concerts and a peek backstage.

The support by members and Trustees offered up in honor of Jared have allowed Fund to offer a foundation on which to plan more ¨distance learning¨ options for educational programs, identifying projects that can introduce the organ to students everywhere. (Click here to make a donation.)

Around Thanksgiving of 2019, the Society held a special Memorial Concert for Jared on what turned out to be a fairly warm November 23. Organists Raúl Prieto Ramírez and Robert Plimpton joined with other artists to honor Jared’s life and music. Here’s a link to photos, including pictures of the program that offered tributes to Jared from every quarter.

Click here for a biographical sketch of Jared, accompanied by almost 20 of the musical programs for his recent Sunday afternoon concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion as a substitute for the current Civic Organist, reaching back to Christmas Day of 2016.