About Us

The Hendrickson Organ Company was founded in 1964 by Charles Hendrickson. Now, after more than 100 instruments, sons Eric and Andreas are taking over from their father as second-generation organ builders. Eric is head of installations, tuning and service, and Andreas is in charge of design.

In 1970, Charles was the first Midwestern builder to construct a tracker-action instrument in modern times - the 34-rank studio organ for Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The firm continues to build both tracker and electric-action instruments.

Charles served four years as President of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA), and is the most prolific organbuilder-author for The American Organist magazine. He has presented to the annual convention of the Acoustical Society of America and the American Institute of Organ building (ISO). He was the first to research, publish and present details and recordings of historic pipe organs in the Midwest, and his articles have appeared in The Diapason, and The Journal of the International Society of Organbuilders. Hendrickson organs have been heard on Michael Barone's PIPEDREAMS radio program for more than 30 years.

Charles has a Masters degree in Physics, and taught college Physics before entering organ building. He has published scientific papers on crystal growth, and is researching aluminum for organ pipes.

Charles and his wife Birgitta live in St. Peter, Minnesota, where Birgitta is retired from university teaching of German and Scandinavian languages. Their grandson Roy (age 2) may become a third generation builder in the firm.