Schroth organ builders:
Like many fans of the pipe organ, David Schroth Jr.'s journey began at a very young age, initially inspired by his grandfather who was an organ technician in New England. David spent his free time as an adolescent practicing upon local organs, but eventually became seriously interested in organ building after studying George Ashdown Audsley's landmark tome The Art of Organ
Building while still only a senior in high school. In November of 2004, David entered into an apprenticeship with German organ builder Stefan Maier, where he assisted in servicing instruments such as the historic Flentrop in Adolphus Busch Hall, Harvard University, the magnificent 1864 Hook organ at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts, the 1981 Fisk meantone organ at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, and dozens of the various historic instruments that dot the New England countryside. This experience was sufficient to procure a continuing apprenticeship at the firm of Richards, Fowkes, & Co. in Ooltewah, TN, where he assisted in the construction and er****on of their Opus 16, Duke Divinity School, and Opus 17, Church of the Transfiguration, Dallas, TX. This apprenticeship having been completed, David then, in 2009, sought employment from organ building legend Pete Webber in Louisville KY. Shifting from the predominantly tracker-based work of his two previous shops, David gained invaluable experience working with electro-pneumatic and all-electric action pipe organs, also coming to be well versed in installation and maintenance of solid-state relay systems. Being project manager of Webber & Borne Organ Builders from 2013 until forming D. Schroth Organ Builders in July 2015, David was able to test his skills in business management as well, performing surveys and drafting proposals for several major projects, while managing much of the day-to-day operations of the shop. Also concurrent with his career with Webber & Borne, David successfully installed a 5-rank Moller organ in a Louisville church, headed up a project to save the historic 1899 August Prante organ, and is currently working to assist, as official project manager, in the revitalization of the 80-rank Pilcher in Louisville's WWI Memorial Auditorium. David is a member of the American Institute of Organbuilders, The American Guild of Organists (National and Local Chapters), the Organ Historical Society, and the American Theater Organ Society (National and Local Chapters). David Schroth, Jr. currently resides in Louisville, KY, with his wife and children.
