Levsen Organ Co. (Rodney Levsen Sr.)

Active: Unknown - Present Type: BuilderBuilder ID: 3757

Distinction:

Davenport, Iowa, 1966-1980; Buffalo, Iowa, from 1980.

Database Manager on October 30th, 2004:
From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders,, rev. ed., by David H. Fox (Organ Historical Society, 1997). -

Rodney Levsen Sr. was born 20 Sept. 1935, Davenport, Iowa; he was the father of Rodney Levsen, Jr., and Matthew Levsen.

He was a field service technician with Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1955; a representative and technician of the Wicks firm of Highland, Illinois, 1966-1978 in Davenport, Iowa. He established his own service firm around 1966; and had a factory built in Buffalo, Iowa, 1980, where he built new organs and rebuilt old ones; the firm was active in 1995.

Staff (1996): Robert Cooper; Glen Day; Bro. Donald Newman Endicott; Dave Gaulrapp; Deloy Goeglin; Don Hough; Matthew Levsen; Rodney Levsen, Jr.; Larry Peterson; James A. Rigsby; Jan Visage; Eugene Wilson

Sources:

  • Ronald Levsen.
  • The American Organist Mar. 1985:148.
  • The American OrganistJun. 1988:75,
  • The American OrganistApr. 1989:91.
  •  


Database Manager on May 7th, 2018:
From the OHS Database Builders editor, January 6, 2017. -

According to the company website, the firm was established in 1954. It was active in 2015 with 14 employees. The firm does not give opus numbers but lists 83 projects since 1980, these range from replacing the console to a complete new organ. The instruments are mostly electro-pneumatic action.

Company president Rodney Levsen states their philosophy:

"Levsen Organ Company is inclined to build in the American Classical tonal principal. We feel it yields an eclectic instrument that is flexible, as a worship organ should be. We also believe in building affordable organs with state-of-the-art technology using both mechanical and electric action."

Rodney E. Levsen, President of the company, is a longtime member of the Organ Historical Society, the International Society of Organ Builders and has been a sustaining member of the AGO since 1965. He is also a member of the American Institute of Organ Builders (AIO). 

Source:


Database Manager on May 7th, 2018:
From the OHS Database Builders editor, September 21, 2017. -

Staff (2019): Rodney Levsen -President
Rodney Levsen, Jr - First Vice President, General Shop Manager
Colleen Levsen - Treasurer
Stephen Meyermann - Tonal Director
Janice Levsen - Office Manager
Christopher Levsen - Architectural Design
Ronald Schnack - Organ Builder
Matthew Levsen - Organ Builder
Greg Levsen - Computer Consultant

Source:

Webpage Links: Levsen Organ Company

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Database Specs:

  • 51 Instruments
  • 3 Consoles
  • 0 Blowers

Pipe Organ Database

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