An organist is a musician who plays the organ, a large keyboard instrument that produces sound by pushing air through pipes of different sizes. Church organists perform during services, filling grand spaces with rich, powerful music that can sound like an entire orchestra. Concert organists give recitals in concert halls, their hands flying across multiple keyboards (called manuals) while their feet dance on pedals below, all working together to create complex, layered music.

Playing the organ requires unusual coordination: imagine typing two different things with your hands while your feet play a third melody on floor pedals. The instrument itself can be massive, with some organs containing thousands of pipes ranging from pencil-sized to taller than a house. Different stops (knobs the organist pulls) control which pipes sound, letting the organist switch between sounds like flutes, trumpets, or deep, rumbling bass notes you feel in your chest.

Organs have been important to Western music for centuries. Famous organists like Johann Sebastian Bach composed music specifically for the instrument. Today, you'll find organists in churches, theaters (where they accompany silent films), and concert halls. Some modern organists even play electronic organs, though traditional pipe organs remain prized for their powerful, majestic sound.