From Bach to Queen: Mallory Haney Loo Brings a Different Sound to the Pipe Organ Sept. 18

Mallory Haney Loo opens the Paul S. Hesselink Concert Series

By Debbie Hall

When most people think about the pipe organ, they probably picture a grand church sanctuary, centuries-old compositions and the unmistakable sound of Johann Sebastian Bach. Mallory Haney Loo would like to expand that picture.

How about Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”?

Or a piece by Chilean rock band Los Jaivas? Or the protest song “El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido” by Quilapayún?

On Friday, Sept. 18, Haney Loo will bring all of that—and plenty of Bach—to Christ Church Episcopal in Las Vegas, opening the 2026–2027 Paul S. Hesselink Concert Series. The Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents the 7 p.m. performance, free and open to the public.

The program showcases the pipe organ's versatility, featuring works by Bach, Liszt, Tournemire, Einaudi, and her own arrangements of Queen, Los Jaivas, and Quilapayún.

It is an ambitious musical journey that crosses centuries, countries and genres—and that is precisely where Haney Loo feels at home.

A Chilean-American organist and pianist based in Los Angeles, Haney Loo has developed a musical identity that connects the traditional world of classical organ with Latin American music, contemporary repertoire, transcriptions and popular culture.

Her relationship with music began early. She started studying piano at age four and was volunteering as a church organist by the time she was 12.

Born in Chile, Haney Loo continued her studies at the Conservatorio de Música de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, where she received a scholarship to study piano and music theory. She eventually came to the United States and earned a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington, studying with Dr. Janette Fishell.

In 2023, she completed a Master of Music in Organ Performance at the USC Thornton School of Music, where she studied with Professor Cherry Rhodes on a full scholarship.

Her career as a concert organist has taken her across the United States, Europe and South America. Her performances have included a concert tour of Chile and Argentina, the 75th anniversary celebration of the Steinmeyer organ at Mariannhill Klosterkirche in Würzburg, Germany, and appearances at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

But Haney Loo isn't interested in keeping the pipe organ confined to the traditional concert repertoire.

For her, the instrument can bridge musical worlds. Her arrangements and programs have included Latin American music, alternative rock and popular music, creating opportunities for audiences to experience the pipe organ in ways they might never have expected.

That includes performances for thousands of people at Ghouls Day Out at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, where the pipe organ became part of an event far removed from the traditional image of an organ recital.

Her Chilean heritage is also an important part of her programming. The works by Los Jaivas and Quilapayún featured in Friday's concert offer another way for Haney Loo to bring her cultural background into the classical music setting.

That connection recently brought her considerable attention in Chile. Following widespread interest surrounding her organ performance of the Chilean National Anthem, Haney Loo was interviewed in September 2026 on Buenos Días a Todos, the nationally broadcast morning program of Televisión Nacional de Chile. She discussed her career and her experiences as a Chilean organist building her musical life in the United States.

In Los Angeles, Haney Loo serves as Organist and Pianist at Lighted Window Congregational Church in La Cañada Flintridge. Her responsibilities include worship services, Evensongs and special musical programs. She also founded and organizes the church's monthly organ concert series and is leading an initiative to support the restoration of its historic 1925 Estey pipe organ.

Her connection to the American Guild of Organists continues beyond the concert stage. Haney Loo serves as a Member at Large of the Los Angeles Chapter.

All these elements-classical grandeur, contemporary sounds, cultural roots, and fun arrangements-combine to create a memorable concert experience that invites everyone to explore the pipe organ's possibilities.

The performance also reminds everyone that keeping an art form alive doesn't necessarily mean keeping it exactly as it has always been.

Sometimes it means taking something familiar and looking at it—or in this case, listening to it—from an entirely different angle.

Haney Loo is doing just that with the pipe organ, treating it not as a relic of the past but as a living instrument with room for classical masters, contemporary composers, Latin American traditions and rock 'n' roll.

For anyone who has ever thought an organ concert wasn't for them, Friday night might be a good time to reconsider.

Mallory Haney Loo performs at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Christ Church Episcopal, 2000 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. The concert is free and open to the public. The performance opens the 2026–2027 Paul S. Hesselink Concert Series and is presented by the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. For more information, visit malloryhaneyorganista.com and follow @malloryhaneyorganista on social media.