NEWS & PREVIEWS

LONGWOOD ANNOUNCES 2023 SHORTLIST

IARROCCO

GKELLY

The console of the 1930 Aeolian Opus 1726 organ at Longwood Gardens

LONGWOOD INTERNATIONAL ORGAN COMPETITION has announced the shortlist for its fourth edition.

The 2023 shortlist was chosen from anonymous audio submissions judged by a panel of distinguished organists. Organists to compete in the event from 20-24 June 2023 are: Bryan Anderson (USA); Amelie Held (Germany); Aidan Hill (USA); Samuel Lee (Canada); Colin MacKnight (USA); Arthur Nicolas-Nauche (France); Alexander Straus-Fausto (Canada); Ádám Tabajdi (Hungary); Ashley Wagner (UK); and Aleksanteri Wallius (Finland).

The ten competitors will perform on the 10,010-pipe, 146-rank Aeolian organ (1930) in the conservatory of Longwood Gardens before an audience including an international jury comprising Peter Richard Conte, Isabelle Demers, Helmut Deutsch, Simon Johnson, Thomas Ospital, Shin-Young Lee, and Raúl Prieto Ramírez.

During the preliminary round, competitors will perform three selections: a Reger transcription of a work by J.S. Bach; a piece of a melodic, lyrical nature of either original organ music or any form of transcription; and a virtuoso organ work from the 19th, 20th or 21st centuries or a major transcribed work either previously published or an original transcription.

During the final round on 24 June, competitors will perform five

6 CHOIR & ORGAN APRIL 2023

selections: a major piece from the canonical organ repertoire; a major transcribed work of overture nature either previously published or an original transcription; a piece of melodic, lyrical nature – either original organ music or any form of transcription; a piece chosen by the competition judges; and an additional work of preference.

The winner of the Pierre S. du Pont First Prize will receive US$40,000, the largest cash prize for any organ competition in the world; a contract with Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists; and a recital at Longwood Gardens.

Tickets for the 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition are now on sale and may be purchased at bit.ly/longwood-tickets.

The Longwood organ was the brainchild of staff organist Firmin Swinnen and Longwood owner Pierre du Pont. The organ that Swinnen designed was custom-built in Garwood, New Jersey, and was built with transcriptions of orchestral music – a popular form of music in the early to mid 20th century – in mind. The organ underwent a seven-year restoration in 2004-11.The Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition was launched in 2013 to help nurture the next generation of organists. longwoodgardens.org choirandorgan.com