Water from melting snow has damaged the 111-year-old Massey Memorial Organ at the Chautauqua Institution, which is one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs
Officials say they hope to have it restored in time for the 2018 season.
The 1907 Massey Memorial Organ is at the heart of the institution’s amphitheater, which was recently rebuilt. President Michael Hill says a routine inspection revealed that a leak from melting snow went through a protective covering and made its way into the organ’s wooden console and its four ivory keyboards while the unit was stored backstage.
The keyboard will be restored, but the organ’s pipework and other systems were not affected.