Curt Mangel

L. Curt Mangel III grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania. At an early age, he became enamored with the pipe organ at the Shea Theater in Buffalo, NY and set out to rescue it from the hall. After seeing the hall, he realized that it too needed saving. He took a job near Buffalo, NY and applied his natural aptitude for mechanics and engineering, eventually becoming the Shea Theater's head of maintenance. He spearheaded a campaign to save the hall, turning it into a venue for organ concerts and off-Broadway productions.

After moving to Chicago, IL, he saved several movie palaces, which became popular venues for the Second City's active role in live theater. About this time, Jasper Sanfilippo put together his astonishing collection of mechanical musical instruments and built the largest theater organ in the world for his Place de la Musique in Barrington, IL, and Curt became curator. A trip to the historic Wanamaker store in the late 1990s led to Curt offering his help to bring the struggling Wanamaker organ back to regular playability and musicality. With the help of the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ, Curt organized a week-long yearly session of volunteer restoration, resulting in great strides for that organ. During the Lord & Taylor years at the store, he was named curator and brought the organ back to total playability.

Mr. Mangel is actively engaged in a number of pipe organ projects, including humidity systems for clients such as Yale and Princeton Universities, and an organ for Bryn Athyn Cathedral. In 2014, Curt was elected President of the Historic Organ Restoration Committee in Atlantic City that is tasked with the restoration of the gigantic Midmer-Losh and Kimball organs at Boardwalk Hall.