Phantoms, vampires and an ambitious organist …
Aaron Hawthorne has quickly gained a reputation as one of the UK's most skilled organists for silent film accompaniment. He has performed his improvised scores for various films across the UK, Europe, and the United States.
In October 2021, Aaron partnered with a soprano to create a semi-improvised accompaniment for the 1925 silent horror film, The Phantom of the Opera. They toured the UK and Amsterdam, playing to sold-out audiences and receiving 5-star reviews.
The success of this tour led to Aaron's first solo silent film tour in the autumn of 2022, during which he improvised for Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) in more UK and Amsterdam venues as the film celebrated its 100th anniversary. Large, intergenerational audiences were able to experience the extraordinary sonic possibilities of pipe organs while also traveling back in time to the early days of cinema.
As Aaron's audience grows and the world continues on its post-pandemic journey, he will soon be announcing his plans for a silent film tour in the autumn of 2023. Follow Aaron on social media and sign up for his mailing list to stay updated!
Of course, not every silent film is reserved for Halloween…
Aside from his annual silent film tours, Aaron performs a wide variety of silent films spanning genres of comedy, romance, thrillers and horror throughout each year.
Have a look at Aaron’s performance diary to see what he’s up to, and if you know of a time, place or film which Aaron should be performing, then get in touch!
Aaron posing under his name in lights before a performance at the Riviera Theater in North Tonawanda, NY, USA, 2019.