The Diapason’s seventh “20 Under 30” selections came from a large field of nominations. The nominees were evaluated based on information provided in the nominations; we selected only from those who had been nominated. We looked for evidence of such things as career advancement, technical skills, and creativity and innovation; we considered a nominee’s awards and competition prizes, publications and compositions, and significant positions in the mix. Our selections were not limited to organists but reflect the breadth of our editorial scope, which includes the organ, harpsichord and clavichord, carillon, church music, and organ and harpsichord building. Here we present the winners’ backgrounds and accomplishments, and then have them tell us something interesting about themselves and their achievements, goals, and aspirations. The 20 Under 30 Committee for 2025 included Joyce Johnson Robinson, Andrew Schaeffer, Stephen Schnurr, David Schrader, and Carole Terry.
Nominations will again open for 20 Under 30 in December 2026 for our Class of 2027. Please carefully consider those you may know that deserve this honor and begin to take notes for your nomination. We can only honor those who are nominated.
The Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America and the American Institute of Organbuilders are graciously providing subscriptions to our 20 Under 30 Class of 2025.
Davis Badaszewski
Davis Badaszewski serves as organist & choirmaster at Saint James Episcopal Church in Painesville, Ohio, where he is the curator of the church’s tonally unaltered 1926 Skinner Organ Company pipe organ, Opus 608. He is also a doctoral candidate in organ performance and is the organ department teaching assistant at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), studying with Professor Todd Wilson. His dissertation, “Harold Friedell (1905–1958): His Compositions for Organ and Their Relation to American Organ Design and Construction in the First Half of the 20th Century,” focuses on the intersection between music composition, organbuilding, and organ pedagogy in New York City between 1900 and 1960, as exemplified by Friedell’s life and works.
Davis’s past degrees include a Master of Music in organ performance, also from CIM, a Bachelor of Music in organ performance from Mercer University, Macon, Georgia, as well as a Certificate in Injury Preventive Keyboard Technique from Salem College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Charles Villiers Stanford Society, and the Herbert Howells Society. Davis has also served in several leadership positions in the American Guild of Organists and is the dean of the Cleveland Chapter.
An interesting fact: Beyond his studies in music, Davis is an avid student of history, with a particular passion for early twentieth-century naval history.
Proudest achievement: I am most proud of overcoming career-ending tendinitis. I could not have done this without the complete technique retraining taught by Barbara Lister-Sink, as well as the care and patience of Jack Mitchener as I restarted my bachelor’s degree. I thank them both for giving me a second chance at a life as an organist, and I will be forever proud of my own tenacity in not giving up when it seemed that I was unlikely to recover.
Career aspirations and goals: Since I started playing organ, I have always wanted to be a church musician in the Anglican Communion. I plan to continue in that vocation after the conclusion of my doctorate. Over the course of my degrees, I discovered two further career goals. First, I would like to pursue a career in university administration to help give the same opportunities I had to a new generation of young musicians. With this, I hope to provide a pathway to ease the extreme cost of higher education and make university music study more attainable for all. Second, I plan to continue to research and publish articles on twentieth-century American and British composers, whose music has been a particular inspiration to me during my career.
Joseph Brantley
Joseph Brantley is a harpsichordist and organettist hailing from Northeast Florida. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and French from Jacksonville University in 2023, and he is currently in his last semester pursuing a Master of Music degree in harpsichord from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, studying under Michael Unger. He has played both solo and continuo repertoire on numerous occasions around the Cincinnati area, including the Cincinnati Early Music Festival, Trinity Episcopal Church (Covington, Kentucky), and Christ Church Cathedral. In addition to the harpsichord, he also performs on the organetto, a medieval portative organ. In 2021 he travelled to Italy and San Marino, staging and performing medieval liturgical dramas under the direction of portative organist, Cristina Alís Raurich.
Furthermore, in 2022 he participated in a week of medieval music classes and performances at the cathedral in Cuenca, Spain. He has chanted Medieval plainchant as well as performed various organ works from the fifteenth-century sources, Codex Faenza and Buxheimer Orgelbuch. In addition to his performances, he has presented original research at local and national conferences, including the South Atlantic Modern Language Association and the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
An interesting fact: I have just started learning the Scottish smallpipes! I have a deep interest in traditional music, which often shows up in the repertoire I choose for harpsichord.
Proudest achievement: My proudest achievement would have to be presenting research and performing on the organetto for the International Congress on Medieval Studies in 2023. Looking back, there were aspects of the presentation that I certainly could have improved, as it was my first time presenting in-person at a conference. Nevertheless, it was a profound experience that cemented my passion for Medieval music and literature.
Career aspirations and goals: Returning to my community and giving back to it has always been a goal of mine, regardless of what I end up doing professionally. Having grown up half an hour from Saint Augustine, Florida, I would love to establish an early music ensemble celebrating the city’s historical heritage.
Ariana Corbin
Ariana Corbin is the organ scholar at Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., where she plays for Sunday and weekday Eucharist and Evensong services and assists with administrative duties for the cathedral music department. Prior to this position, she served as director of music and organist at the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Tallahassee, Florida, where she directed the adult choir and oversaw all aspects of the music program.
Ariana grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, where she began taking piano lessons at age five. After pursuing private piano study at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance during high school, Ariana began the Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance at age sixteen. Upon completing her undergraduate studies (summa cum laude), she began graduate studies at Florida State University College of Music, where she studied piano, organ, and harpsichord. Ariana holds master’s degrees in both piano and organ performance as well as the Doctor of Music degree in organ performance. Her organ teachers have included Iain Quinn, Colin Andrews, and James Kibbie. Ariana was a recipient of the E. Power Biggs Scholarship from the Organ Historical Society in 2022–2023, and was a featured performer at the 2023 Festival of Pipes hosted by the Organ Historical Society and the Royal Canadian College of Organists in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
An interesting fact: I am proud to be a crazy cat lady, and I have two fourteen-year-old cats named Mia and Sophie!
Proudest achievement: This year I have been deeply honored to participate in two high-profile civic events at the National Cathedral, the state funeral for President Jimmy Carter, and the national prayer service, held the day after the presidential inauguration. I performed in the organ preludes for both events, and it was profoundly humbling to be called upon to serve my church and my nation as a musician. These were incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and I treasure these privileges that I have had as the organ scholar at Washington
National Cathedral.
Career aspirations and goals: Sacred music is my greatest passion and first calling as a professional organist. I plan to continue to develop my skills as an organist and conductor, and I hope one day to be able to count myself as one of the leaders of church music in this country. I especially hope to have the opportunity to train young organists in the art of church service playing, in order to continue to foster the rich tradition of sacred music that has been so important to our culture.
Kelly Cleveland
Kelly Cleveland’s fascination with pipe organs began at age fifteen when he built a single-rank direct-electric-action organ, combining his interests of music and woodworking. At sixteen, he started studying organ with Annette Richards in Ithaca, New York. During his final year of high school, he built a mechanical-action organ with hand-operated bellows using reclaimed metal pipes.
In 2017 he enrolled at Rochester Institute of Technology to study furniture design and woodworking. For his final project, he built a two-stop tracker organ, crafting all of the mechanical parts, the keyboard, and ninety wood pipes by hand.
After graduating, Cleveland joined Parsons Pipe Organ Builders in Canandaigua, New York, where he continues to refine his woodworking skills while working on pipe organs in a variety of capacities. His dedication to both craftsmanship and music drives his work in the field of organ building.
An interesting fact: I never enjoyed dancing until I discovered contra and waltz—now I spend every Thursday at a dance with a live band. I also have an identical twin brother who builds electronic instruments.
Proudest achievement: In my free time, I built a double-fretted clavichord, which has become my favorite instrument for practicing improvisation. I “finished” the instrument in 2022, but I still continue to fine tune and experiment with the sound. As this process continues, my relationship with the clavichord continues to grow and become even more rewarding.
Career aspirations and goals: I am interested in learning the trade of pipe voicing. I would also like to expand my knowledge of new organ design.
Charles Douthit
Charles Douthit is an organist, collaborative pianist, and choral musician from Mooresville, North Carolina. He currently studies organ with Jens Korndörfer at Baylor University, Waco, Texas, as a Master of Music degree candidate in the church music program. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in church music from Baylor, having studied organ with Isabelle Demers and Margaret Harper. During his undergraduate studies, Charles won first prize and the prize for outstanding hymn playing in the fiftieth annual William C. Hall Pipe Organ Competition in 2021. In 2022 he was selected as the organ division winner in the Baylor School of Music Semper Pro Musica Competition. As a collaborative artist, he has worked with the Baylor School of Music in various roles as a pianist and organist, notably serving a five-semester term as the accompanist for Baylor Bella Voce, a select treble ensemble founded by Lynne Gackle. Charles’s greatest passion is church music, serving as the organist and accompanist at the First Baptist Church of Waco. In addition, Charles frequently accompanies chapel functions on Baylor’s campus and substitutes at Waco area churches spanning a wide range of liturgical traditions.
An interesting fact: I have a deep love for shape-note singing. During the holidays, my family often gets together and sings convention-style hymnody. I also love fishing and frequently compete in bass tournaments with my dad.
Proudest achievement: The two achievements of which I am most proud are being named a Theodore Presser undergraduate scholar in 2022 and being recognized as one of two outstanding seniors in the Baylor School of Music in 2023. These honors meant a lot to me because they reflected not only my efforts as an organist, but also my work as a contributing member of the Baylor and Waco music communities
at large.
Career aspirations and goals: Upon graduation from Baylor, I will continue to pursue vocational music ministry, and hope to start concertizing and teaching in the future. One of my deeply held desires is to become an ambassador of the pipe organ to my own evangelical tradition, and to this end I hope to one day be involved in higher education at a
Christian institution.
Instagram handle: chasedouthitmusic
Website: https://charlesdouthit.weebly.com
Annie Gao
Annie Gao is a carillonist and software engineer from the sunny suburbs of Southern California. She first met the carillon in 2017 as a member of the Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs, completed her Guild of Carillonneurs in North America carillonneur exam in 2020, and graduated from Yale in 2021 with combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science degrees in computer science.
She then had the tremendous privilege of continuing her carillon studies internationally with world-renowned carillonists Geert D’hollander, Boudewijn Zwart, and Eddy Marien. Along the way, she has been recipient of the Bok Tower Gardens Blanchard Carillon Fellowship, the Belgian American Education Foundation Fellowship, and the Kors Monster Festival Performance Nomination. She has taught carillon performance masterclasses at Bok Tower Gardens, Yale University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Florida at Gainesville, and she currently chairs the Emerging Artists Grant committee for the Guild of Carillonneurs of North America. She is also a jury member of the Guild’s professional certification exam. In her free time, Annie enjoys competitive ping pong, puzzles and brainteasers, good reads, and opportunities to explore and improve her fascinatingly bad sense of direction.
An interesting fact: I captained my university’s women’s club table tennis team.
Proudest achievement: A few years ago, I chanced upon a lady showing off the boombox feature of her new Tesla in the parking lot of a church with a tiny two-octave carillon. Long story short, we ended up talking, coordinating, and making a video from the streets of an improvised carillon + Tesla duet!
Career aspirations and goals: I want to find a path to share more of my music with people and build community wherever I go.
Daniel Grotz
Daniel Grotz is an Episcopalian organist based in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Culpeper, Virginia, and began piano lessons at age eight. During his time as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia he decided to become an organist after hearing the excellent organ concerts on Taylor & Boody Opus 3 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, Virginia. In 2018 he became organist at Church of Our Savior, Episcopal, in Charlottesville, where he remained for four years. He has since completed his master’s degree in organ performance with Michael Unger at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, during which time he was organ scholar at Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral, Cincinnati. He is now pursuing his doctorate in organ performance at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he serves as the graduate assistant for the organ program, and he is one of two organ scholars at Saint Francis in the Fields, Harrod’s Creek, the largest Episcopal Church in Kentucky.
An interesting fact: I love Lutheran chorale preludes. I have probably never given an organ concert, even a half recital, without at least one on the program, and I suspect I am one of the only organists in the United States to concertize with Ernst Pepping’s chorale preludes. I play them from a score that he signed!
Also, you have reached a milestone in your friendship with me if I make you watch BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs.
Proudest achievement: Honestly what I’m proudest of is that I’ve really come full-circle as an organist this past year. In November I gave a concert on Taylor & Boody Opus 3, the instrument that convinced me nine years ago to become an organist. And in February I gave a concert on the 1802 Tannenberg organ at Hebron Lutheran in Madison, Virginia, the only Tannenberg organ in its original location, just fifteen minutes from where I grew up. The concert celebrated the church’s restoration and the community’s German heritage. Hearing well over 200 voices belt A Mighty Fortress Is Our God in that small church was an experience I imagine none of us will forget; it was a cultural moment.
Career aspirations and goals: Someday I want to be the director of music at an Episcopal church with a good community, a good organ, and a strong music program. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up teaching as well.
Jacob Gruss
Jacob Gruss is a fourth-year undergraduate organ student at The Juilliard School, studying in the studio of Paul Jacobs. Based in New York City, he serves as organ scholar at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Jacob won first prize and audience choice in the twenty-seventh annual Albert Schweitzer Young Professionals Competition in Hartford, Connecticut. He placed first in the Westmorland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, first in the Cassel Competition (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), and was a winner in the 2023 American Guild of Organists Quimby Organ Competition for the northeast region.
Jacob is an organist with the New Choral Society Orchestra of Scarsdale, New York, and has performed with The Juilliard Orchestra in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. In the summer of 2024, he was a featured artist on WQED-FM Pittsburgh’s Voice of the Arts, interviewed by Jim Cunningham. A budding composer, Jacob’s works include liturgical music, such as his recently commissioned Mass of the Immaculate Conception, which premiered in Irwin, Pennsylvania, in August 2024.
Jacob is a proud recipient of the American Guild of Organists Pogorzelski-Yankee Memorial Scholarship and was the inaugural recipient of the Robert and Nancy Powell Scholarship (Greenville, South Carolina). In addition to organ, Jacob studies conducting, composition, improvisation, and harpsichord.
An interesting fact: When I’m not busy with school, I enjoy biking and hiking. I also love to play golf—though I make a much better organist!
Proudest achievement: There are many things I’m proud of, and many things I’m working toward. At this point in my life, I never could have anticipated being surrounded by such talented musicians, colleagues, and friends. I owe so much to those who have selflessly contributed to my success. I am exceptionally proud to have the opportunity to learn from and work alongside some of the country’s finest musicians on a regular basis.
Career aspirations and goals: I will never forget the people and moments that inspired me to become a musician. My greatest goal is to inspire others the same way. No matter where my musical journey leads—whether in church music, performance, or teaching—I will always strive to make music at the highest, most personal level.
Website: jacobgruss.com
Ethan Haman
Ethan Haman is an award-winning organist, pianist, improviser, and composer from the San Francisco Bay Area. For the past three years, he has worked as staff accompanist for the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Greater New Haven Community Chorus and as director of music for the Episcopal Church at Yale. Since 2019 he has also served as organist and assistant conductor at Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien, Connecticut.
In his youth, Ethan studied with concert organist Angela Kraft Cross. In 2019 he graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Music degree in composition and organ performance, studying with Andrew Norman, Morten Lauridsen, and Cherry Rhodes. Ethan graduated from Yale University with Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts degrees in organ performance in May 2022, studying with Jon Laukvik, Craig Cramer, Martin Jean, and Jeffrey Brillhart.
Ethan has traveled on several sponsored study trips to Paris and Lyon for immersion into the French tradition of organ performance and improvisation on historic instruments, including Notre-Dame Cathedral and Saint-Sulpice Church. He has performed and recorded in twelve countries and twenty-two U.S. states, including such venues as Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Trinity Church in Boston, Notre-Dame d’Auteuil in Paris, and the Grote Kerk of Saint Bavo in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
Ethan was a finalist and audience prize winner in both the 2022 and 2024 National Competition in Organ Improvisation of the American Guild of Organists. He has taught organ and improvisation privately and in workshops for universities, the Church Music Institute, and local chapters of the AGO, and he is regularly commissioned to compose new choral and keyboard music.
An interesting fact: Growing up speaking English at home, Cantonese with maternal grandparents, and Portuguese with my babysitter, foreign language learning naturally became a hobby of mine. I currently speak English, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and am learning Korean and German.
Proudest achievement: I am proud to have given the same skills and love for music to my students that my teachers have instilled in me. Witnessing each of my students’ growth in their organ, piano, composition, and/or improvisation skills has been a highlight of my life’s work. As a performer, having been privileged to accompany peoples’ joys at weddings, heal sorrows at funerals, and enhance spiritual development at various churches has been especially meaningful. Seeing my compositions travel even more widely than I myself have has been incredibly rewarding as well.
Career aspirations and goals: I hope to continue the path I have pursued so far, even more widely into the future. I aim to continue working for churches, performing organ recitals and collaborations with ensembles throughout the United States and internationally, while featuring improvisation in my performances. I also want to expand and enhance my teaching of the art of improvisation, helping to make this often-elusive art form more accessible and more easily understood to learners at various levels. And I will continue composing new choral and keyboard music. Although being a music professor in higher education is still my dream, I see myself continuing these goals on my own regardless of whether this work is for an institution or as a self/multi-employed professional.
Website: ethanhaman.com.
YouTube Channel/Facebook professional page/Instagram: @Ethan.Haman.Music
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson plans to teach and inspire the next generation of performers, academics, and church musicians. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance and literature at the Eastman School of Music, where he studies with David Higgs and serves as a teaching assistant in music theory. His previous degrees include a Master of Music and graduate performance diploma from Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Daniel Aune, and a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Illinois Wesleyan University. Additional private organ study has been with John Walker, Marie-Louise Langlais, and Jean-Baptiste Robin.
Andrew is assistant organist at Christ Church in Rochester, New York, following tenures at Mount Calvary Catholic Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Illinois. He holds the American Guild of Organists Associate and Choirmaster certifications and earned the 2023 S. Lewis Elmer Award. His research has been published in The American Organist and The Tracker, and his competition credits include earning second place in the 2022 Sursa American Organ Competition, first place in the inaugural James M. Weaver Prize in Organ Scholarship (2023), and being a finalist in the 2024 AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance.
An interesting fact: When not playing the organ, I enjoy playing and singing tunes from the Great American Songbook.
Proudest achievement: I am proud of achieving my degrees and AGO certifications.
Career aspirations and goals: I hope to pursue a career in academia in tandem with music ministry.
Website: andrewjohnsonorganist.com.
Gavin Klein
Gavin Klein is a native of rural Massachusetts and is a skilled organist and harpsichordist. He is a rising senior at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and serves as one of the organ scholars at the institution. Gavin is a student of Ezequiel Menéndez and previously studied with C. Henry Mason and William Ness. Gavin began organ lessons around the age of ten after studying piano for a number of years. Growing up, he sang in the choir of All Saints Episcopal Church in Worcester, Massachusetts. The choir of All Saints is one of the oldest continuously running church choirs in the United States and is something Gavin often attributes as the source of his desire to study organ and sacred music. Currently, he serves as the organist at Saint Bernard Catholic Church in Worcester and was formerly artist-in-residence at the Harvard Historical Society in Harvard, Massachusetts. In January of 2020, Gavin gave the inaugural organ recital at the Epsilon Spires Performing Arts Center in Brattleboro, Vermont, featuring the historic Estey Opus 300 organ. Since then, he has performed at many notable venues worldwide and regularly tours both the United States and Europe. Gavin was recently a finalist in the National Undergraduate Organ Competition in Ottumwa, Iowa.
An interesting fact: When not at the console, I love fishing and hiking and usually spend my day off parked out by a lake nearby. I also have a lifelong dream to one day learn how to play the bagpipes!
Proudest achievement: I would say my proudest accomplishment thus far is following my passion for playing the organ—something that I never thought would bring me so much excitement and adventure. Because of the organ, I have been able to travel to all corners of the world to perform and study with so many amazing organists. I am even more grateful for the many friends I have made along the way!
Career aspirations and goals: After graduating from Holy Cross, I hope to pursue a graduate degree in organ or sacred music and begin a performing career. I hope somewhere in the midst of that to secure a church job with a good music program.
Website: www.gkleinorganist.com.
David Kraft
David Kraft is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, studying under David Higgs. He began piano study at age five and organ at thirteen, studying with John Morabito. He has served at several Rochester area churches, including Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Webster, and Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Irondequoit, and is assistant organist at Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, Rochester, where he helped establish the Cathedral Youth Schola.
David won first prize in the 2021 Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition and was a finalist in the Lynnwood Farnam Competition, performing in Montreal. He has played in masterclasses with Chelsea Chen, Jean-Baptiste Robin, and Janette Fishell, and he was featured on Pipedreams Live! in 2024. David is organist at the United Church of Canandaigua and will perform in the 2025 Piccolo Spoleto L’Organo series in Charleston, South Carolina.
An organ technician with Parsons Pipe Organ Builders, David maintains instruments at Eastman and across Western New York and assisted in the 2024 installation of Parsons Opus 52 at Saint Benedict Catholic Cathedral, Evansville, Indiana. He regularly services reed organs and is currently restoring a Trayser harmonium. He is also building a table organ inspired by the instruments of Jean-Baptiste Micot.
An interesting fact: When I’m not servicing organs, I enjoy working on cars and various mechanical projects. To this day, I drive a twenty-seven-year-old Volvo that I began restoring at age fifteen.
Proudest achievement: Winning the Albert Schweitzer competition in high school was a defining achievement in my musical journey, but just as meaningful has been my work building new instruments and reviving forgotten organs. Above all, I am proud to have married my wife, Gabriella, with whom I share my love of music.
Career aspirations and goals: I hope to maintain a career balanced between liturgical music, organbuilding, and research. I am grateful to be able to serve my current congregation and strive to bring musical excellence and creativity to every service. I hope to lead a thriving music program while also servicing instruments in my community and building instruments informed by historical models.
Chase Loomer
Chase Loomer is organist and associate choirmaster at the Cathedral of Saint Philip in Atlanta, Georgia. He has given solo recitals throughout North America and performed with ensembles including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Brass, Yale Philharmonia, and Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra. Chase received first prize in the 2018 Taylor Organ Competition and 2015 American Guild of Organists/Quimby
Southeast Regional Competition for Young Organists and has been a semifinalist in the National Competition in Organ Improvisation and the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. He has performed at national and regional conventions of the AGO, the American Liszt Society Festival, and has been featured on Pipedreams. Previously, he served as associate director of music at Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, and on the collaborative piano staff of Butler University. In 2024 he was organist for the Royal School of Church Music Midwest summer choral residency.
Chase holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Yale University, and has completed coursework for the Doctor of Music degree at Indiana University. His teachers have included David Higgs, Martin Jean, Christopher Young, Edoardo Bellotti, Jeffrey Brillhart, Jeffrey Smith, and Patrick Scott. In addition to organ, Chase is a jazz pianist and composer of choral, keyboard, and jazz music.
An interesting fact: There are many musicians in my family. My father is a jazz drummer, and my mother is a jazz singer and music teacher, so I grew up hearing a lot of music in the house. In addition, my uncle is also a jazz drummer, my grandmother was a church musician and music educator, and just about everyone else in my family plays an instrument or sings!
Proudest achievement: Being appointed organist and associate choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Philip was a huge honor, especially since one of the former organists who held this position, Patrick Scott, was my high school teacher. Patrick assumed this position the same year I started my undergraduate degree at Eastman, so to follow in his footsteps a decade later really felt like a full-circle moment. It is a joy to be able to make wonderful music at this cathedral each week and to work with such fantastic musicians and choirs.
Career aspirations and goals: I aim to continue to engage in making music in a variety of settings, including liturgical music, solo recitals, collaborative performances, and composition. Something I really love about music is that it is a lifelong journey and there is always room to learn, grow, and expand your knowledge and abilities. I hope to continue in this work as an organist, improviser, composer, and teacher.
Website: chaseloomer.com
Dylan Madoux
Dylan Madoux is a conductor and harpsichordist specializing in early music. He is artistic director of the Oklahoma Baroque Orchestra, director of music at First Christian Church, Midwest City, and adjunct professor of music at Oklahoma City Community College.
Equally at home in historical and modern performances—he has led ensembles ranging from early music to opera and choral productions. In 2024 he conducted Cimarron Opera’s The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan. Previously, he was an apprentice conductor with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and assistant conductor with Oklahoma Youth Orchestras.
Dylan earned his Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting and harpsichord performance from Oklahoma City University (OCU) and his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Oklahoma (OU). As a harpsichordist, he has performed with the UCO Brisch Center for Historical Performance, OU Collegium Musicum, OCU Early Music Ensemble, Tactus, and OU Festival Ballet. He has also worked with the Boise Baroque Orchestra and participated in the Saint Andrews Baroque Institute, studying with Rachel Podger, John Butt, and others.
Dylan is active in organbuilding and historical keyboard maintenance. He is a pipe organ technician with Red River Pipe Organ Company and offers independent tuning and technical services for harpsichords and other historical keyboards.
An interesting fact: I love old cars—my first car was a 1948 Chevrolet Coupe (which I still own)!
Proudest achievement: I am really proud of the work I and so many others in my community have done to help cultivate early music in Oklahoma and begin bringing historical performance into the mainstream here in Oklahoma City. Serving as artistic director of the Oklahoma Baroque Orchestra, the only professional early music ensemble in Oklahoma, is certainly very rewarding, and I am very proud of the work I and our musicians have been able to accomplish.
Career aspirations and goals: Building on the momentum we have seen in Oklahoma, I am fully committed to fostering the early music scene here. That includes continuing my own growth—something I am fortunate to do every day through the insight and artistry of my colleagues, both locally and beyond. I have the privilege of working with musicians at the forefront of the national and international early music community, and with the support of friends and collaborators, I hope we can establish Oklahoma as a key player in the region.
Website: Okbaroque.org
Maksym Mahlay
Maksym Mahlay is a Cleveland-born keyboardist, teacher, composer, and lecturer. He is a second year master’s degree student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), studying harpsichord performance with Michael Unger.
Throughout his conservatory career, Maksym has focused on multiple projects, from researching the evolution of fugue to archiving Ukrainian early music. In his undergraduate years, Maksym composed over 100 fugues. In addition, he performed fugues on stage, with his recent solo master’s recital including fugal improvisation throughout the program. As a continuo player, Maksym has performed with CCM’s Concert Orchestra, CCM Chamber Singers, Indiana Slavic Choir, and local musicians from the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky area, accompanying on harpsichord, organ, and Ukrainian folk instruments. In addition, Maksym maintains an active social media presence, regularly posting content ranging from improvisatory videos to rarely performed works.
An interesting fact: I also enjoy chess and billiards.
Proudest achievement: I am most proud of achieving the career I have dreamed of—through historical performance, I will be able to research, perform, and give back to the community.
Career aspirations and goals: I would like to pursue a doctorate in historical performance and pursue a position in academia, giving concerts and lectures.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/didomaksym.
Website: www.mahlay.online.
Joseph Min
Winner of the Ninth Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition, Joseph Min currently lives in New York City and attends the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. After graduating summa cum laude from the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” in Mechelen, Belgium, in 2023, studying under Koen Cosaert and Koen Van Assche, he has performed on carillons throughout the United States and Europe. Prior to this, he studied under Joey Brink at the University of Chicago, where he was introduced to the instrument. He is a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) and has premiered multiple new compositions at GCNA congresses. Joseph now occasionally plays the carillon at The Riverside Church and is a member of the Riverside Ringers handbell group. His work in acoustics and design will hopefully further both architecture and carillon culture.
An interesting fact: I am an avid photographer, working both on campus and freelancing.
Proudest achievement: Placing first in the 2024 Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition.
Career aspirations and goals: Continue to pursue photography professionally and merge my architectural studies with furthering carillon advancements and developments.
Website: jminbeiaardier.com
David Preston
David Preston is an award-winning organist and harpsichordist, presently based on Long Island. He is pursuing a second master’s degree in harpsichord performance at Stony Brook University with Arthur Haas, having previously studied at Yale University for his Master of Music degree in organ performance and at Texas Christian University for his bachelor’s in church music. He is a laureate of the Miami International Organ Competition (2024), the AGO/Quimby competition (2021), and was awarded the Charles Ives Prize (2023) in his first year at Yale. David has earned the Colleague certificate of the AGO. His musical interests are varied, and he is presently focused on harpsichord music in experimental keys from the high Baroque and early Classical periods, as well as organ music from the Classical and early Romantic eras.
Concurrently with his studies, David holds the position of associate organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York. As a church musician, he finds great fulfillment in accompanying the congregation and choir alike. He is grateful to all his teachers and mentors for fostering his appreciation for church music and its numerous traditions.
An interesting fact: My favorite Bach cantata is the Actus Tragicus, BWV 106.
Proudest achievement: I am most proud of my musical path thus far; I am doing what I love and enjoying it immensely. I have performed as far away as Germany, have visited exciting places during my competition and recreational travels, and I have had the opportunity to work with amazing musicians and continue to do so.
Career aspirations and goals: My ultimate goal is to make music that inspires my listeners. I am certain I will remain in church work, and I plan to perform in solo and ensemble concerts on both organ and harpsichord. I hope to promote church music, early music, and organ music wherever I am and bring about a broader awareness for each of these arts.
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DzjByMCer/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram handle: @david_presto1750
Henry Webb
Henry Webb is the recipient of the second prize, audience prize, and the Raymond Daveluy prize of the Canadian International Organ Competition and is completing his master’s degree at McGill University, where he studies organ with Isabelle Demers and harpsichord with Elizaveta Miller. Webb earned a bachelor’s degree in organ performance with David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music and a diploma of specialization with Johann Vexo from the Strasbourg Conservatory, where he also studied harpsichord with Benjamin-Joseph Steens. Henry’s other former teachers have included Scott Dettra and Nathan Laube. He has also received the second and audience prizes of the 2023 Ottumwa National Undergraduate Organ Competition.
Henry has been featured as a recitalist in the United States, France, and Canada, notably on Pipedreams Live!, the East Texas Pipe Organ Festival, the 2019 Organ Historical Society national convention, and the Stras’Orgues festival in France.
An interesting fact: I am really interested in astronomy.
Proudest achievement: My greatest achievement would have to be receiving the second prize of the Canadian International Organ Competition.
Career aspirations and goals: My three biggest musical passions are playing solo organ repertoire, church playing, and playing continuo in early music ensembles. I would love to combine these three interests at some point in my career.
Abigail Wood
Abigail Wood is a senior organ performance major from York, Pennsylvania, studying at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, with Anne Laver and pursuing a minor in jazz studies. She is organist at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse and music minister for Lutheran Campus Ministries. Her recitals feature a variety of repertoire and also include improvisations and compositions of her own. In 2023 she won the Quimby Potomac Chapter Organ Competition and received the 2024 Robert & Nancy Powell Scholarship of Greeneville, South Carolina. She also was a winner of Syracuse University’s 2024 Outstanding Artists Competition, and performed Charles-Marie Widor’s “Allegro” from Symphony VI with the Syracuse University Orchestra. Most recently, she was named a Visual & Performing Arts Scholar by Syracuse University, one of the school’s highest honors. Her research focuses on the English organ and liturgical practices of Victorian-era Britain. She attended the Royal College of Organists’ 2024 Summer Course and studied with professionals in London, making recordings of these instruments for two weeks and compiling her research into a paper. She also assisted Dr. Laver in presenting data found on organ programs of the 1915 San Francisco Exposition at the 2024 American Guild of Organists national convention.
An interesting fact: I used to kayak along the Susquehanna River with my parents at a young age, helping to collect snails and aquatic specimens for my mother’s research. I still enjoy kayaking and hiking around the Susquehanna and will always have a special appreciation for freshwater and marine biology.
Proudest achievement: I am most proud of my progress and my experiences not only as an organist, but as a musician and person. I have always loved making music with others, whether it be in an orchestra, choir, band, etc., and I had the privilege of playing Widor with the Syracuse University Orchestra. It combined two of my great loves, orchestra and organ music, with the experience of playing alongside my good friends. It is most likely my favorite performance on the organ thus far.
Career aspirations and goals: The biggest goal I have is to inspire a love for music in others and help people to feel connected with one another. I plan to do this by leading congregational worship in a church or cathedral, starting and/or leading a youth choir, collaborating in concerts with others, and performing recitals that showcase not only repertoire, but improvisations that take the audience’s preferences into consideration.
Website: abigailwoodorganist.com.
Eddie Zheng
Driven by a passion for bringing the grandeur of organ music to wider audiences, Eddie Zheng is a rising concert organist whose performances have been “rapturously received” across the United States, Canada, France, and China. He has won numerous competitions, including first prizes at the 2018 Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition, the 2019 American Guild of Organists Quimby Northeast Regional Competition, and the highest awarded prize at the 2024 Pierre de Manchicourt International Organ Competition in Saint Omer, France.
Eddie currently serves as assistant organist at Saint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church in New York City, associate organist at Église St. Jean Baptiste, and guest organist at The Riverside Church. He also maintains a thriving teaching studio with more than ten students.
Eddie Zheng studied with Matthew Lewis before earning his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees and the Artist Diploma (2025) from The Juilliard School under Paul Jacobs. He has been fortunate to learn from esteemed organists such as Peter Richard Conte, Olivier Latry, Nathan Laube, Thomas Murray, and Johann Vexo.
An interesting fact: I’ve been working on a side project called The Roadtrip Organ—a custom digital instrument developed in collaboration with Romsey Organ Works and powered by Hauptwerk. Designed to be portable and versatile, it allows me to share the organ’s repertoire in spaces beyond the traditional concert hall or sanctuary. It’s been an eye-opening way to explore how we might reimagine access to this music in the 21st century.
Proudest achievement: I am proudest of building a network of friends and colleagues in New York City who support my goals and achievements and of forging a successful career as a musician through service playing, live performances, and teaching.
Career aspirations and goals: Record an album of French and English organ music. Discover and perform on more historically significant instruments in Europe and North America. Showcase my touring organ in schools, universities, and art galleries. Continue learning bucket-list repertoire, like Widor’s Symphonie VI and Jongen’s Symphonie concertante!
Website: eddiezheng.com
