"Improvisation and
the music of jean langlais"
In this seminar, Dr. Ann Labounsky, FAGO—distinguished organist, teacher, and former student of Jean Langlais—offers a rich exploration of the legendary French composer’s life, influences, and distinctive musical language. Speaking from the console of Duquesne University’s Dan Jaeckel organ, she traces Langlais’s formative years, his study with masters such as André Marchal and Marcel Dupré, and the unique blend of discipline, freedom, and lyricism that shaped his compositions. Through carefully chosen excerpts, she illustrates the hallmarks of his style, including the interplay of strict rhythmic writing, chant-inspired melodic flow, folkloric character pieces, and works crafted from the musical “codes” of personal names.
The second part of the program focuses on Langlais’s extraordinary gift for improvisation, a skill he not only mastered but passed on to his students with clarity and encouragement. Dr. Labounsky demonstrates the forms, motifs, and practical techniques he used—always grounded in Gregorian chant and adaptable to many contexts, from concert performance to liturgical use. Drawing from personal recollections and decades of study, she offers insight into Langlais’s creative process, his approach to expressive playing, and the enduring value of these methods for today’s musicians. The seminar provides both a deeper appreciation for Langlais’s legacy and tangible ideas for applying his principles to one’s own music-making.
September 13, 2025
11 a.m. Eastern Time
Ann Labounsky and Jean Langlais in 1962
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Dr. Ann Labounsky at the Console of Duquesne University’s Dan Jaeckel Organ
Presenter
Dr. Ann Labounsky
Dr. Ann Labounsky, FAGO, ChM, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh (Musicology); M.Mus, University of Michigan (Marilyn Mason); B.Mus., Eastman School of Music (David Craighead); studied in Paris with André Marchal and Jean Langlais on a Fulbright Grant and holds diplomas from the Schola Cantorum and École Normale and is the author of a biography of Langlais, Jean Langlais: the Man and His Music, published in 2000 by Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon.
She was recently named to the faculty at the Sacred Music Insitute of America where she will be holding master classes and working with students on improvisation.
She recorded the complete organ works by Jean Langlais for the Musical Heritage Society which have been reissued on the Voix du Vent label and narrated and performed in a DVD of his life based on this biography, a project sponsored by the Los Angeles AGO Chapter. As Chair of Organ and Sacred Music at Duquesne University, she oversees undergraduate and graduate programs in sacred music.
–Dr. Labounsky on studying with Langlais
"He always started with a chant. I remember that the first chant he gave was the Kyrie from the Orbis factor Mass. I had never heard it before because I didn’t know anything about Gregorian chant."
Session Facilitators
— Dr. Jason J. Keefer
Founder & Director
Sacred Music Institute of America
Jason J. Keefer is Professor and Director of Sacred Music and Principal Organist at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and was previously Adjunct Professor of Organ at Ohio Wesleyan University. Prior to moving to Ohio, he served as Principal Organist and Director of Liturgical Music at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and Choirmaster and Organist at the Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Keefer holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Organ Performance from West Virginia University, where he was awarded a full scholarship as a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Music History. He earned a Master of Musical Arts in Sacred Music and Organ from Duquesne University and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and Organ from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York.
Dr. Keefer’s doctoral dissertation topic was “A Style-Based Approach to Hymn Improvisation: A Teaching Manual for Organ Students,” and he has taught and continues to teach courses and master classes based on the method that he formulated.
— Prof. Emily Lapisardi
Assistant Director
Sacred Music Institute of America
Emily Lapisardi is Director of Musical Activities for Most Holy Trinity Catholic Chapel at the United States Military Academy (West Point, New York), where she serves as organist for all Catholic liturgies and directs the Catholic Cadet Choir on post and for touring appearances. Emily also serves on the Liturgical Music Commission for the Archdiocese of New York.
Emily holds a master's degree in Sacred Music from Duquesne University and a bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance from West Virginia University, where she was named WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior and Honors College J. and C. Nath Outstanding Senior in Research and received the university's nomination for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships.
As a musicologist, she has presented at national and international conferences, published several articles, and received the Communal Studies Association's research fellowship for her work on the hymnody of the Harmony Society.