DUSHANBE, April 3, 2009, Asia-Plus — On Friday April 2, Minister of Culture Mirzoshorukh Asrori met here with a delegation of Czech’s Rieger-Kloss led by the sales department head Rene Klim.
According to press service of the Ministry of Culture (MoC), the sides discussed issues related to reconditioning an organ installed at a concert hall of Tajik Institute of Art. “After thorough analysis, Czech specialists will work out several variants of complete restoration of the organ and the chosen variant will submit for consideration of Tajik MoC in early May,” the source said.
Rieger–Kloss is a Czech firm of organ builders based in Krnov. Rieger–Kloss date their establishment to 1873, by the Rigger brothers; they claim a common history with Rigger Orgelbau up to the end of World War II. Following the war, the Czech government expelled the owners and workers of the original firm (who had fought for Germany) from Czechoslovakia and nationalized the Rigger company. In 1948 they were merged with the workshop of Josef Kloss, which had also been nationalized, to form a new company called ”Rieger–Kloss”.
The company became privately owned in 1994. They have built over 600 organs using pneumatic, electro-pneumatic and tracker action, and made a large number of restorations of historic instruments. They are now active in America and Asia. They build organs in the full range of sizes, from portative organs and compact instruments to large cathedral instruments, and employ about 70 people. They also make guitars and there is a company of the same name which makes pianos.
Rieger–Kloss established a school of organ building in 1992. They take in twelve students from all over Europe each year, who pursue a four-year course of intensive study culminating in difficult written and practical exams. In order to graduate, each student must build a complete organ on their own.
