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AGO names prizewinners in national organ competitions

American Guild of Organists

Eight Prizes Presented to Five Organists at AGO National Convention in
Chicago




NEW YORK CITY-The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is pleased to announce
the results of the NATIONAL YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION IN ORGAN PERFORMANCE
(NYACOP) and the NATIONAL COMPETITION IN ORGAN IMPROVISATION (NCOI).
The 2005-2006 NYACOP began with a taped round; 25 organists gained entry
into the competition. Seven NYACOP competitors were chosen to advance to
the semifinal round, hosted by the Central Iowa AGO Chapter on May 20 at
St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Des Moines. Three were chosen to
participate in the final round on July 2 at St. Paul's United Church of
Christ in Chicago, in conjunction with the AGO National Convention. The
following competition prizes were awarded:



First Place

The Lilian Murtagh Memorial Prize: $2,000 cash award and career
development assistance provided by Karen McFarlane Artists; and CD
recording for Pro Organo

-and-


Audience Choice Prize
$500 cash award provided by the Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company

SCOTT MONTGOMERY
Second Place
$2,000 cash award provided by John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders


BÁLINT KAROSI


Third Place
$1,000 cash award provided by the Noack Organ Company


-and-


Reger Prize

$500 provided by Jim Zinkhan and Heather Holowka


ROBERT HORTON



The NATIONAL YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION IN ORGAN PERFORMANCE promotes the
highest level of organ performance. The competition serves as a
springboard for emerging young organists, allowing them to continue to
develop their performance ability by participating in the various
demanding stages of this competition. Established in 1950 and held
biennially, the competition is open to organists between the ages of 22
and 32. Required repertoire for the final round was BACH: Fantasia and
Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542; BÖHM: Vater unser in Himmelreich; REGER:
Fantasie Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, Op. 40, No. 1; and a
contemporary work of each competitor's choosing by a composer born after
January 1, 1906. Judges for the final round were Christa Rakich, Charles
Tompkins, and Christopher Young. Major support for the 2005-2006 NYACOP
was provided by the Central Iowa AGO Chapter, host of the semifinal
competition round, and by the AGO Nita Akin Competition Fund. Preparation
of the organ for the final round was provided by the Berghaus Organ Company Inc.


SCOTT MONTGOMERY is director of music and organist for Holy Cross Catholic
Church in Champaign, Ill. He won first prizes in the 1993 Indianapolis AGO
Chapter Competition; the 1997 AGO Region V Competition in Evansville,
Ind.; and second place in the 2002 Arthur Poister Organ Competition. In
1998, he performed at the AGO National Convention in Denver, Colo. His
performances have been broadcast on Pipedreams, and he has performed on
Arp Schnitger organs in Germany. Scott is pursuing a master's degree in
organ at the University of Illinois, studying with Dana Robinson.



BÁLINT KAROSI, a native of Budapest, Hungary, studied clarinet and organ
at the Bartók Conservatory and the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. He
was awarded a scholarship by the Swiss Federation to study organ with
Lionel Rogg at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique of Geneva, where he
was awarded the Prix de Virtuosité avec Distinction in organ and clarinet
performance. Mr. Karosi studies with James David Christie at the Oberlin
Conservatory, and is organist at the First Church in Oberlin. He was
awarded first prize at the Dublin International Organ Competition and at
the Arthur Poister Organ Competition.



ROBERT HORTON holds music degrees from Northwestern University (MM, 1998)
and the University of Kansas (DMA, 2003), where he studied with James
Higdon. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied with Michel Bouvard at the
Conservatoire National de Région in Toulouse, France. Dr. Horton has won
prizes at competitions in both North America and Europe, including the
John R. Rodland Competition, the Internationaal Orgelconcours Nijmegen,
and the Concours d'orgue André Marchal. Currently, he is assistant
professor of music at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.



The 2005-2006 NCOI began with a taped round. Five semifinalists were
selected; three of these advanced to the final round on July 3. Semifinal
and final rounds were held at St. James Cathedral in Chicago, in
conjunction with the AGO National Convention. Each competitor was required
to (1) improvise in any form, based on a given musical theme, or a
non-musical theme (literary passage or artwork); and (2) improvise in the
form of a Theme and Variations based on a given theme. The following
competition prizes were awarded:



First Prize

$2,000 cash award provided by the Holtkamp Organ Company


-and-


Audience Choice Prize

$1,000 cash award provided by David and Robin Arcus, and McNeil Robinson

TOM TRENNEY, CAGO

Second Prize

$1,500 cash award provided by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders Ltd.


VINCENT CARR


No Third Prize Was Awarded




The NATIONAL COMPETITION IN ORGAN IMPROVISATION advances the art of
improvisation by recognizing and rewarding superior performers in the
field. Improvisation is the pinnacle of achievement for a musician who can
combine the elements of performance and composition simultaneously in the
creation of a new work of art. Since 1990, the AGO NCOI has motivated and
inspired hundreds of the most talented organists in America. Today, it is
the pre-eminent competition in North America dedicated to preserving and
advancing improvisation at the organ, and is open to all regardless of age
or country of citizenship.
A flourishing tradition of improvisation has always been fundamental to a
truly vital musical culture. Although musical extemporization has enjoyed
a rich heritage in Europe for many centuries, the art form is in perilous
risk of extinction in America except among a few organists and jazz
musicians. As the premier competition for organ improvisation in America,
the AGO NCOI continues to set the standard for organists seeking to
demonstrate their skill in extemporaneous performance, the highest and
most challenging musical art form. Judges for the semifinal and final
rounds were James Biery, Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, and Hans
Davidsson.



TOM TRENNEY, CAGO, is director of music ministries and organist at the
First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Mich., where he directs five
choirs and an extensive music outreach program, including the
Birmingham-First Concert Series, the Birmingham-First Chamber Choir, an
annual church music workshop, and a series of Summer Sings. Mr. Trenney
completed two graduate degrees at the Eastman School of Music in 2002,
studying organ performance with David Higgs and choral conducting with
William Weinert. He earned a bachelor of music degree in organ performance
from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied organ and church
music with Todd Wilson.

A native of Perry, Ohio, Mr. Trenney began piano study with Margaret
Syroney at the age of four and began organ lessons with Anne Wilson at a
Pipe Organ Encounter (POE) in 1991. He directed the 2002 POE in Rochester,
N.Y., and the 2004 POE+ in Detroit. An active member of the AGO, he has
served on the national Committee on the New Organist and on the executive
board of the Detroit Chapter. Mr. Trenney earned both the Service Playing
and Colleague certificates before he was 16. He was awarded first prize at
several regional and national competitions, including the Redlands Organ
Festival Competition, the San Marino Organ Competition, the John Rodland
Memorial Church Music Scholarship Competition, and the AGO Region V
Competition for Young Organists. He has presented numerous programs around
the country including solo recitals, duo recitals, hymn festivals, service
playing workshops, and masterclasses. He is in frequent demand for his
improvised accompaniments to silent films!

Most notably, Mr. Trenney has been a featured performer at regional and
national conventions of the AGO and the Organ Historical Society in
Dallas, Ann Arbor, Seattle, Buffalo, and Cleveland. His debut recording,
Organa Americana, featuring works by American composers, was released on
the Pro Organo label in June 2004.



VINCENT CARR is currently a graduate organ student at the Institute of
Sacred Music at Yale University, where he studies with Martin Jean. A
native of Philadelphia, Pa., Mr. Carr received a bachelor of music degree
in organ performance from Indiana University in Bloomington. While there,
he studied organ with Larry Smith, harpsichord with Elisabeth Wright, and
improvisation and church music with John Schwandt and Marilyn Keiser. Mr.
Carr has led an eclectic musical career with interests in classical music,
global music, musical theater, jazz, and Latin American popular music. He
has studied improvisation with William Porter and Jeffrey Brillhart.

Related Content

2006 AGO National Convention, Chicago, Illinois

Part two of two

Edward Maki-Schramm, Joy Schroeder, W. James Owen, and Jerome Butera
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National Competition in Organ Improvisation

The ninth National Competition in Organ Improvisation was held at St. James Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago. Five semi-finalists were chosen from 19 preliminary round recordings. Judges for the preliminary round were Justin Bischof, Marianne Ploger, and Bruce Shultz. Five semi-finalists resulted from the recorded round: Steven Ball, Vincent Carr, John Karl Hirten, David J. Hughes, and Tom Trenney. Judges for the semi-final and final rounds were James Biery, Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, and Hans Davidsson. Richard Proulx composed original themes for the competition.
The three finalists chosen to compete in the final round on Monday evening, July 3, were Vincent Carr, John Karl Hirten, and Tom Trenney. The first prize of $2,000, provided by the Holtkamp Organ Company, was awarded to Tom Trenney, director of music and organist at First Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Michigan. The second prize of $1,500, provided by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, was awarded to Vincent Carr, a graduate organ student at Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music where he studies with Martin Jean. An audience prize of $1,000 provided by David and Robin Arcus and McNeil Robinson was awarded to Tom Trenney.
A 30-page souvenir booklet, which included a history of the NCOI competition, competition criteria, semi-finalists’ biographies and photographs, judges for all rounds, specifications of the Austin/Skinner organ at St. James Cathedral, statements from the prize donors, and lists of NCOI committees, previous judges, and composers was made available to those attending the semi-final and/or final rounds. This booklet also included 14 pages of themes used in past competitions.

National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance

On Sunday, July 2, three organists competed in the final round of the National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ: Robert Horton, Bálint Karosi, and Scott Montgomery. Each performed Bach’s Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542, Georg Böhm’s Vater unser im Himmelreich, and Max Reger’s Fantaisie and Fugue on “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,” op. 40, no. 1. Competitors were allowed to complete their program with a contemporary work of their choice. These were Cinq versets sur le “Victimae Paschali” by Thierry Escaich, performed by Horton; Two Portraits for Organ: I. György Ligeti, II. Béla Bartók by Bálint Karosi, performed by the composer; and Olivier Messiaen’s “Les deux murailles d’eau” and “Prière après la communion” from Le Livre de Saint Sacrement, performed by Montgomery.
First place (The Lilian Murtagh Memorial Prize: $2,000 cash award and career development assistance from Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc., and a CD recording for the Pro Organo recording label) went to Scott Montgomery, director of music and organist at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Champaign, Illinois, and a master’s student of Dana Robinson at the University of Illinois. Second place ($2,000 provided by John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders): Bálint Karosi, a native of Budapest, Hungary, and a student of James David Christie at the Oberlin Conservatory. Third place ($1,000 provided by the Noack Organ Co. Inc.): Robert Horton, assistant professor of music at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa. Audience Choice prize: Scott Montgomery ($500 provided by Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company Inc.). The Reger Prize: Robert Horton ($500 provided by Jim Zinkhan and Heather Holowka).
Judges for the final round were Christa Rakich, Charles Tompkins, and Christopher Young.

Recitals

St. Ita’s RC Church was the site of the recital by Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin on Wednesday, July 5. Cauchefer-Choplin is titular at St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle in Paris and co-titular at St. Sulpice, Paris. Her program included Suite pour Orgue, Bédard; Prelude (from Suite, op. 5), Duruflé; Mélodie Intérieure, Grunenwald; Résurrection (from Symphonie-Passion), Dupré; and an improvisation on a submitted theme (“Chicago”). The elegant French Gothic architecture of the church was the perfect setting for Cauchefer-Choplin’s elegant playing, and the Opus 2918 Wicks organ (1949–50), rebuilt in 2002–03 by H. A. Howell, provided the necessary color and brilliance for the program of French works. Passion and delicacy were evident in pleasing proportion throughout the program, and the improvisation on the tune “Chicago” demonstrated technical mastery and structural coherence, and brought the audience to its feet.

San Diego Civic Organist Carol Williams played an unusual program at St. Vincent de Paul Church on Thursday, July 6. Beginning with a virtuosic performance of the Liszt Prelude and Fugue on B.A.C.H., in a syncretic version by Jean Guillou, the artist then offered the Six Sketches on Children’s Hymns, op. 481, by Barrie Cabena, winner of the Holtkamp-AGO Award in Organ Composition, The Brothers Gershwin arranged by Howard Cable, and Toccata “Store Gud, vi lover deg” by Iver Kleive.
A veteran of numerous performances at the outdoor Spreckels Pavilion, as well as recitals worldwide, Williams was right at home with the eclectic program, playing with brilliance in the Liszt, tenderness in the Cabena, playfulness in the Gershwin, and sheer enjoyment in the Kleive toccata. The venerable 1901 Lyon & Healy organ has been under the care of Alfred J. Butler of New York City.

Wolfgang Seifen played an all-improvisation concert on the Opus 2207 Reuter organ (III/64) at Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette on Wednesday, July 5. The program consisted of an improvised Symphony in Six Movements based on submitted themes. Seifen amazed the audience with his phenomenal technique, even combining the submitted themes with patriotic tunes in honor of the recent holiday. Listeners praised his phenomenal technique, energy, and command of the organ, showing the wide variety of color in the recent installation. He was given an enthusiastic standing ovation.

The Morrison Duo, Jeannine Morrison, piano, and Alan Morrison, organ, played a recital at College Church Wheaton (Schantz Opus 2012, III/54), on Thursday, July 6. The program included Flying Fingers, Johnny Costa; Sinfonia, op. 42, Dupré; Newmark Variations and Mountain Music, Harold Stover; and Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Lutoslawski. One heard many comments on Mrs. Morrison’s flawless piano technique and the overall polished performance of the duo in what proved to be unfamiliar repertoire for most convention-goers.
—Jerome Butera

 

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