John Lauter

Detroit native John Lauter has been presenting theatre organ concerts for over 20 years.

John made his public debut at the Redford theatre at age 16. Since those early days John has presented concerts in Chicago at the Oriental theatre, VanDerMolen residence studio, Krughoff residence studio, the 19th Hole restaurant and the St. Mary of the Lake Seminary auditorium in Mundelein.

Lauter has been featured in programs at the Paramount theatre in Denver, the Castro theatre in San Francisco, the Richard Knight auditorium of Babson College in Boston, the Organ Stop Pizza restaurant in Phoenix, the Rialto theatre in Joliet, IL, and the Palace theatre in Marion, Ohio.

The Ohio theatre in Columbus featured John in overtures to their popular classic film series.

John played concerts in Toronto at Casa Loma, in Kingston, Ontario at the Kingston Theatre Organ Society’s Kimball organ, the Public Museum of Grand Rapids (Michigan), the Little River Studio Wurlitzer in Wichita, Kansas, the Auditorium theatre in Rochester, NY, and the Thomaston Opera House in Connecticut, an appearance that also found John combining forces with the Waterbury Youth Symphony.

Lauter was a featured performer at the American Theatre Organ Society’s 2009 convention in Cleveland.

John spent three years playing at “Theatre Organ Pizza and Pipes” in Pontiac, Michigan.

At home in Detroit, John has presented nine concerts at the Detroit Theatre Organ Society and many concerts and silent film programs at the Redford theatre.

The Michigan theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan featured John as staff organist for 17 years during which John accompanied such silent film classics as Metropolis, The Birth of a Nation, The Phantom of the Opera, IT, Robin Hood, Greed, The Big Parade, Nosferatu, The Gold Rush and many others.

The Detroit Fox theatre’s 1988 re-opening found John playing before Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr.: The Ultimate Event. Lauter has played at the Fox ever since for film and live shows.

Lauter has used the theatre organ in very traditional roles as a solo and silent film accompaniment instrument, in addition to other unique combinations - with big bands, a Bluegrass-Fiddle band and behind vocalists and instrumentalists.

In preparation for the opening of their new IMAX theatre, the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn contracted John to compose and record a silent film accompaniment to a silent film collage featured in a specially produced IMAX short subject shown before each feature there.

In Februrary 2010, John was a musical guest on NPR’s popular Prairie Home Companion program. Host Garrison Keillor remarked, “the man (Lauter) has unerring good taste”. Lauter performed solos on the live broadcast and joined forces with PHC’s “guys all-star shoe band” for some numbers. The show was performed live before 5,000 people and broadcast live into 4 million homes.

A recent appearance at the Shanklin Music Hall in Groton, Massachusetts with the “White Heat Sextet” was very well received.

John is the organist for the Unity Church of Lake Orion and is also in demand as a pianist at local Detroit restaurants.

John lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan with his wife Amy, son Benjamin and daughter Maryanna.