The Syracuse Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and the Syracuse University Setnor School of Music announce the 2025 Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition in Organ Playing.
Three finalists will be selected to compete April 4 on the Roosevelt/Schantz organ at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse, New York. First prize is $5,000, funded by the Syracuse AGO Chapter, and a recital engagement in Syracuse during the 2025–2026 season. Second prize is $3,000, funded by the Arthur Poister Endowment Fund of Syracuse University. Third prize is $1,500, funded by the Syracuse AGO Chapter. The Will O. Headlee Audience Prize is $500, funded by the Syracuse AGO Chapter.
The jury consists of Nathaniel Gumbs, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2017, Colin MacKnight, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2019, and Caroline Robinson, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2016.
Organists who have not reached their 30th birthday before April 4 are eligible to compete. Applicants should submit recordings of a major work by J. S. Bach, a piece composed between 1800 and 1950, and a piece composed after 1950, no later than February 5.
For information: syracuseago.org.