Cellist Runs Church of Beethoven

Albuquerque arts devotees start secular Church of Beethoven in old gas station
By Drew Nelles,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 16, 2008 6:35 PM CST

Congregants gather on Sundays at an old gas station in Albuquerque to greet friends, ponder the divine, and listen to classical music, NPR reports. Espresso-sipping members of the Church of Beethoven also listen to poetry readings and engage in group song, but don't need to have religious beliefs. Cellist Felix Wurman says he founded the church to help people "find spirituality through culture."

He named the church after Beethoven because the composer "poured all that spirituality that he couldn't find a place for in the traditional church, he poured it straight into his art." He hopes the church will stay small but inspire other houses of worship devoted to classical composers. "My goal is to disseminate all of this wonderful art," says Wurman, "because people don't know that much about it."
(More music stories.)

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