Sept. 8, 2005

NEW YORK CITY— The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is pleased to announce the First and Second Place winners in its nine AGO/QUIMBY REGIONAL COMPETITIONS FOR YOUNG ORGANISTS (RCYO). The competitions, held in conjunction with the summer 2005 AGO Regional Conventions, were made possible by a generous grant from Michael Quimby, president of Quimby Pipe Organs Inc.

The AGO/QUIMBY RCYO is designed for organists under the age of 23. Participants compete in two levels of this competition, beginning at the chapter level and ending at the regional level. Regional First Place winners received cash awards of $1,000. They were sponsored in solo recitals during the AGO regional conventions, and will be presented in a group recital, Rising Stars, at the AGO National Convention in Chicago, Ill., July 2–6, 2006. Regional Second Place winners received cash awards of $500.

QUIMBY PIPE ORGANS INC. of Warrensburg, Mo. was founded by Michael Quimby in 1970 as a one-man service organization. The staff now consists of 14 full-time employees. The firm is responsible for more than 100 new and rebuilt organs throughout the United States. The guiding principle for the firm is to build organs of the highest quality, both tonally and physically, that are musical, expressive, and communicative. In addition to his skills as an organbuilder, Michael Quimby holds degrees in music education and in history and literature with applied emphasis in organ performance from Central Missouri State, a background that has deeply influenced his philosophy in the design of church organs.


REGION I—NEW ENGLAND

First Place:

JEFFREY WOOD
10 William St.
P.O. Box 1059
Pepperell, MA 01463
978-433-5857
jlwood06@holycross.edu

Jeffrey Wood is a senior at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., where he majors in music and studies organ with James David Christie. Before enrolling in Holy Cross, he spent a year studying jazz piano at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has played organ recitals throughout New England, including programs at Trinity Church and King’s Chapel in Boston, and has performed with many local ensembles. Mr. Wood received first prize in the 2004 Augustana/Reuter National Undergraduate Organ Competition. He recently performed on harmonium in Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with the Boston Symphony under conductor James Levine.

Second Place:

CHRISTOPHER J. HOWERTER, SPC
2 Mountainview Terrace
Danbury, CT 06810
203-798-9809
christophhowerter@sbcglobal.net


Christopher J. Howerter, a native of Emmaus, Pa., showed an interest in piano at the age of four. At age 15, he received the AGO Service Playing Certificate as a member of the Lehigh Valley Chapter. He recently completed his freshman year at Western Connecticut State University, where he majors in organ performance, studying with Stephen Roberts. He teaches organ and piano to beginning students. In 2004, Mr. Howerter placed first in the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship, the M. Louise Miller Scholarship, and the L. Cameron Johnson Competition. He holds dual membership in the Waterbury (Conn.) and New York City chapters of the American Guild of Organists.

REGION II— NEW YORK and NEW JERSEY

First Place:

JAMES FEDDECK
20 Greenvale Place
Scarsdale, NY 10583
914-723-9097
james.feddeck@oberlin.edu

James Feddeck began his music career at eight years old, when he was hired as an organist in his native New York church. Three years later, he was appointed music director, a position he maintained until his completion of high school in 2001. James is a recent graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory, where he completed degrees in oboe and organ performance. He is the 2005 recipient of Oberlin’s Selby Harlan Houston Prize for distinguished performance in organ and music theory. His organ teachers have included Robert G. Owen, Haskell Thomson, and James David Christie. He has participated in master classes in the United States and abroad, studying with Lionel Rogg, Thomas Murray, Daniel Roth, and Jean-Pierre Leguay. James will return to Oberlin in the fall, where he will pursue graduate studies in conducting and will serve as conducting assistant for the conservatory’s orchestras.

Second Place:

ERIC DOMBROWSKI
652 Glimmerglen Rd.
Cooperstown, NY 13326
607-547-8366
ssn773@hotmail.com


Eric Dombrowski, a native of Cooperstown, N.Y., began his music studies at age nine.  In 2000, under the tutelage of Mae Sepp, he was awarded first prize in the Parillo Piano Competition.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music in organ performance, where he studied with David Higgs, having previously studied with Raymond Paradis. He is pursuing a master’s degree in organ performance and literature at Indiana University in Bloomington. In 2004, Mr. Dombrowski was awarded first prize in the Wells Competition for Young Organists in Lubbock, Tex.  In the summer of 2004, he participated in the International School for Young Organists at Oundle in the United Kingdom. In summer 2005, he returned to the U.K. to perform in recitals at Guildford and Chester cathedrals.

REGION III—MID-ATLANTIC

First Place:

SCOTT MYERS
4920 Danielle Dr.
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-715-1003
myerssp@aol.com


In 2005, Scott Myers, 21, graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied organ with Alan Morrison and John Weaver. While at Curtis, he was on the roster of assistant organists at the Lord & Taylor Department Store in Philadelphia, where he had the opportunity to play the Wanamaker Organ, the world’s largest musical instrument. In 2004, Mr. Meyers was the first-place winner in the Gruenstein Memorial Organ Competition in Chicago. His early studies were with David Christopher in Wilmington, Del., and Robert Murphy at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.

Second Place:

KATHERINE SCOTT
3115 Wainbell Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15216
412-571-1954
riverdaughter919@hotmail.com


Katherine Scott studies organ as a sacred music major at Duquesne University’s Mary Pappert School of Music. She began studying the pipe organ while in the ninth grade and received the Young Organists Scholarship from the Pittsburgh AGO Chapter the following year.  She was featured in recitals sponsored by the Pittsburgh Chapter played at the 1999 AGO Region III Convention, and has performed on the Heinz Chapel Student Recital Series in Pittsburgh for the past two seasons.  Ms. Scott has studied organ with Gretchen Franz, Donald Wilkins, Ann Labounsky, David Craighead, and currently is a student of John Walker.  In addition to serving as secretary for the Duquesne University Pipe Organ Encounter in 2004, she is dean of the Duquesne AGO Chapter, a member of the executive committee of the Pittsburgh AGO Chapter, and is organist of South Hills Reformed Presbyterian Church.

REGION IV—SOUTHEAST

First Place:

MALCOLM MATTHEWS
603 Augusta National Way
Knoxville, TN 37922
865-966-6244
ematthews@tds.net


Malcolm Matthews began studying piano at age four. He is currently studying with David Northington at the University of Tennessee. At age ten, he was introduced to the organ at a summer music camp, and shortly thereafter he began organ studies with Karen Ladd at the University of Tennessee. For the past four years, he has studied organ with John Brock at the University of Tennessee. His recent piano accomplishments include first place in the 2004 Tennessee Senior State Piano Competition and winner of the 2005 Knoxville Youth Symphony Piano Concerto Competition. Mr. Matthews was awarded first place in the 2003 L. Cameron Johnson Memorial Organ Competition for high school students. In 2004, he attended the Eastman School of Music’s Music Horizons program for high school students, where he studied organ with David Higgs. In July 2005, he attended the Mount Royal College Organ Academy International Summer School in Calgary, Alberta.

Second Place:

FILIPPA MACKENZIE DUKE
2176 Ruin Creek Rd.
Henderson, NC 27537
252-492-7505
fmd0611@mail.ecu.edu


Filippa M. Duke, a native of Henderson, N.C., is a third-year student pursuing an undergraduate degree in organ performance at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. As a student of Janette Fishell, she was the winner of the Eastern Carolina Chapter’s 2005 competition for young organists and the alternate winner of the 2004 North Carolina Music Teachers’ Association organ competition. Ms. Duke is a recipient of the East Carolina Scholars tuition award for academic excellence. In the summer of 2004, she attended the Oundle International Academy for Organists in Cambridge, England. She is the organist/choirmaster of Trinity Episcopal Church in Chocowinity, N.C.

REGION V—GREAT LAKES

First Place:

THATCHER LYMAN
531 Rt. 169, P.O. Box 214
Woodstock, CT 06281
860-928-9187
tlyman@oberlin.edu


Thatcher Lyman is a fifth-year organ and mathematics double major at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. While there he studied with Haskell Thomson and, currently, with James David Christie. An early music enthusiast, he is a founding member of the five-voice ensemble, Uncloistered, which has performed in Cleveland, Boston, Iowa City, and Oberlin. Upon completion of his degrees at Oberlin, Mr. Thatcher hopes to continue his organ studies in a master’s program.

Second Place:

JESSICA FRENCH
3859 Kay Circle
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
801-277-8793
frenchie784@yahoo.com


Jessica French, a junior studying organ performance with Larry Smith at Indiana University in Bloomington, is the recipient of the Friends of Music Scholarship. She began piano study at age seven and organ lessons at age 14 while attending the Madeleine Choir School at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ms. French has attended numerous masterclasses conducted by Douglas Cleveland, James Higdon, and Marie-Claire Alain. In 2000 and 2001, she received first prize in the Utah State Fair Organ Competition. She is organist at Fairview United Methodist Church in Bloomington.

REGION VI—NORTH CENTRAL

First Place:

T. JARED STELLMACHER
1051 Dartford Rd.
Ripon, WI 54971
920-748-5365
tstellmacher@wisc.edu


Jared Stellmacher is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in organ performance at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Music, studying with John Chappell Stowe. He began his organ studies at age ten, and began playing services at Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ, in Ripon, Wis., at age twelve. His beginning piano instruction was with Jay Thomas, and his organ studies began with Joanne Peterson, both of Oshkosh, Wis. Mr. Stellmacher received first place awards (state level) in organ at the 1999–2001 Wisconsin Music Teachers Association competition. In the summer of 2001, he participated in the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts Competition and received a gold-level placement award at the regional level. In 2002, the United Church of Christ National General Synod chose him as organist for its convention in Minneapolis, Minn. For two summers, 2002–2004, he performed on the Fox Valley AGO Chapter’s Summer Organ Recital Series. 

Second Place:

ADAM PEITHMAN
705 Barger Ave.
Hebron, NE 68370
402-768-7211
apeithma@mail.rochester.edu


Adam Peithman, born in Hebron, Nebr., began his musical life at the piano at a very young age. However, it was not until the beginning of high school that he decided to become an organist. He received his first lessons from a member of his church and later became a student of Diana Johnson of Stromsburg, Nebr. Mr. Peithman won the Fort Hays State Solo Competition in 2002, and the Lincoln AGO Chapter’s competition in 2003. He currently studies with David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music as well as with William Porter and Joel Speerstra. He is the director of music at Transfiguration Lutheran Church in Rochester, N.Y., and plans to pursue a career in church music, teaching, and performance.

REGION VII—SOUTHWEST

First Place:

DANIEL STIPE
P.O. Box 307522
Denton, TX 76203
940-369-6056
danielstipe@unt.edu


Daniel Stipe, a native of Tulsa, Okla., began piano study with his mother at age four. While studying in high school with Elwyn Ratliff, he was featured on From the Top, a nationally syndicated radio program featuring distinguished young musicians. He began organ study with Casey Cantwell in high school, and currently plays for the choir of St Mark’s School of Dallas. In July 2004, he traveled with the choir to England to accompany daily choral services at Ely and York cathedrals. In 2002, Mr. Stipe was awarded first prizes in both repertory and hymn playing at the William C Hall Pipe Organ Competition in San Antonio, and in March 2004, he received second prize in the Fort Wayne National Organ Playing Competition. He is now a senior with a double major in organ and piano performance at the University of North Texas, studying organ with Jesse Eschbach and piano with Adam Wodnicki. As an active recitalist and accompanist, his engagements have included a concert tour with the Tulsa Boy Singers, a workshop at the Amadeus Piano Festival in Tulsa, and a solo piano recital in Denver.

Second Place:
NO PRIZE AWARDED

REGION VIII—PACIFIC NORTHWEST

First Place:
BETHANY KAY MILLER
Walla Walla College
147 Conard Hall
200 SE Ash Ave.
College Place, WA 99324
509-525-8835
millbe@wwc.edu

Bethany Miller, a sophomore music major, pursues both organ and piano study at Walla Walla College. At the age of seven, she began piano lessons in her native Japan, adding organ study eight years later. Early performance experiences include playing both of these instruments for church services, and accompanying various choirs. Since entering college, Ms. Miller has been actively participating in on-campus concerts, as well as at Musicfest Northwest, where, in 2004, she received two gold medals in organ. She currently studies with Kraig Scott at Walla Walla College.

Second Place:
NO PRIZE AWARDED

REGION IX—FAR WEST

First Place:

KEVIN KWAN
44 Taraval St.
San Francisco, CA 94116
kjkwan32@yahoo.com



Kevin Kwan, born in 1982 in San Francisco, Calif., began piano study at age ten and began playing the organ when he was 18. From 2002 to 2005, he served as Organ Scholar at St. Paul’s Cathedral in San Diego. Along with the organ, Mr. Kwan is actively sought as an accompanist and harpsichordist. He has won scholarship awards from the San Diego AGO Chapter and the Spreckels Organ Society. His teachers have been Edgar Billups and Martin Green. Mr. Kwan holds a bachelor of arts degree in music and a bachelor of science degree in management science from the University of California at San Diego. He is currently pursuing a master of music degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studies with Todd Wilson.

Second Place:
NO PRIZE AWARDED

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