Our goal is simple: to design and build the best pipe organs in the world, and to provide the best workmanship possible in the restoration, rebuilding, and care of existing pipe organs. We have fun and take real pride in our work, and we love to share our joy with you as your pipe organ comes to life–for you, and for the many generations who will play and hear our instruments.
Since 1986, we at Buzard Pipe Organ Builders have built and maintained an eclectic mix of instruments in a wide array of locations–from grand cathedrals to theaters to personal residences. With a rich, full sound, Buzard pipe organs create a transcendent musical experience in any way they are called upon to be played.
We fully create and execute the engineering and visual designs for every instrument we build at our headquarters in Champaign, Illinois. Our staff of experienced organ builders works in concert to create instruments that fill their homes visually as well as musically, with an eye toward sustainability and ease of maintenance. When you commission Buzard Pipe Organ Builders for your pipe organ, you are engaging talented craftsmen and artists to build you a beautiful piece of functional art which will stand the test of time.
A Letter from our Founder, John-Paul Buzard
In June of 2023, I invited Fredrick Bahr to take the reins as President of Buzard Pipe Organ Builders. He enthusiastically agreed and is leading the transition to raise up a new generation of organ builders and technicians at our firm. Having always had a passion for educating and training young people, this is exciting to witness! I have stepped aside from the daily operations, but I remain the firm’s Artistic Director, being responsible for the visual designs of our new and rebuilt organs. I love traveling, meeting new people, and sharing my enthusiasm and passion for the instruments we create!
Stepping aside from the daily running of the firm has given me the ability to take a long-term view, critically evaluating our work in light of the facilities in which we currently labor. For years I have known that we were outgrowing our quaint 19th century hotel building; the Service Department is located in a separate building from Production, the CNC machine is located in the Service Department’s warehouse, and we rent several off-site warehouses. Finding a suitable building at an affordable cost has eluded us on the several occasions on which we’ve tried to consolidate. Until now!
In July, 2025 we will be moving to a new 45,000 square foot purpose-built organ shop in Rantoul, Illinois, a small community just to the north of Champaign/Urbana. Everyone will be under one roof. Efficiency will increase, shop safety will be much easier to achieve, delivery times will decrease, and we can preserve the family feeling of the company by being together.
The move has left me with some bittersweet feelings. Buzard Pipe Organ Builders has been in our old hotel building for 35 years – half my life – since moving from our home’s basement! By the time we move in the fall of 2025 we will have produced 50 new pipe organs in this place, several of heroic size and scope. I will miss the Richardsonian arched windows and front door. I will miss the supremely reliable 1902 Otis Dual-Speed elevator. I will miss working in a building which, with its very architecture, bespeaks the class and the spirit of the pipe organs we build here.
But I will not miss the fact that our woodworkers have very limited space in which to safely work. I will not miss the continual need to set work aside just so the next step in a project can be completed. I will not miss our current inability to erect entire large organs in one controlled space.
The new building’s Erecting Room and Tonal Department will have 35’ clear ceilings; the offices, workshops, and the attached warehouse will have 16’ ceilings. The entrance will bespeak the class and spirit of the organs we build, and there will be a dedicated space and good lighting for my drafting table. We will be able to set up two organs at the same time, providing ultimate flexibility in scheduling Service and Production projects which would otherwise have competed for erecting space. We also have an airfield a few steps from the new shop, Rantoul sports, and an Amtrak station!
Through all of these changes, we remain resolute in our mission: To build the best pipe organs and provide the best tuning and renovation services. Please peruse our website and reach out to us with any questions. We look forward to talking with you and welcoming you for a visit!
John-Paul Buzard, Founder and Artistic Director
