The Taylor Organ Competition, established by the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild Organists to honor longtime chapter member Elizabeth Abbott Taylor, is supported by a bequest from Taylor’s estate to support a national young organist competition every three years. The first competition was held in 2012. The final round of the 2025 Taylor Organ Competition was held March 22 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia.
Recorded round judges Nicole Keller, Anne Laver, and Daryl Robinson had selected five finalists: Daniel Carroll and Daniel Colaner (students of Alan Morrison at the Curtis Institute of Music), Henry Dangerfield (high school junior studying with Catherine Rodland), Trevor Good (student of James Higdon at the University of Kansas), and Bruce Xu (student of Ken Cowan at Rice University). Each was invited to perform a 50-minute program, which required a Bach prelude and fugue; a first or final movement of a symphony by either Vierne or Widor; the commissioned work Children’s Dances by Chelsea Chen, which received its world premiere that day; and music of their choice.
Final round judges Jesse Eschbach, Kimberly Marshall, and Stephen Price determined all prizes except the audience prize. Prizes are sponsored by the Atlanta AGO Chapter scholarship endowment unless otherwise noted.
First prize of $10,000 and $1,000 prize for best performance of the commissioned work (sponsored by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church) went to Daniel Carroll. Second Prize of $5,000 and $1,000 Audience Prize was presented to Henry Dangerfield. The $1,000 Bach prize (sponsored by Sarah Hawbecker) was awarded to Daniel Colaner.
For information: agoatlanta.org/taylor_organ_competition.
Photo caption: Taylor Competition judges and competitors: Stephen Price, Trevor Good, Daniel Colaner, Daniel Carroll, Henry Dangerfield, Bruce Xu, Kimberly Marshall, and Jesse Eschbach (photo credit: Matthew Brown)
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