• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

American Guild of Organists

Member Login

  • About
    • AGO AT-A-GLANCE
    • Mission, Vision, and Value Proposition
    • Strategic Plan
    • History & Purpose
      • Past AGO Wardens and Presidents
    • 2022 National Election Results
    • National Council
      • Officers
        • President
        • Vice President/Councillor for Competitions & New Music
        • Secretary/Councillor for Communications
        • Treasurer/Councillor for Finance & Development
        • Chaplain
      • National Councillors
    • National Committees & Task Forces
    • Board of Regional Councillors
    • Regions, Chapters, & Member Communities
      • Regions
      • Great Lakes
      • Mid-Atlantic
      • North Central
      • Northeast
      • Southeast
      • Southwest
      • West
    • AGO Young Organists
    • Headquarters
    • Guild Documents
    • Antitrust Compliance
  • Chapters
    • Chapter Documents
    • Chapter Websites
    • Chapter Leadership Toolkits
      • Chapter Leadership Webinars
      • Online Programming for Chapters
  • Membership
    • Why Join?
    • Join the Guild
      • Join As a Chapter Member or Friend
      • Join As an Independent Member
      • Subscribe to The American Organist (TAO)
      • Institutional TAO Subscription
      • AGO Affiliate Membership for RCO Members
      • Church Music Institute Special Discount
    • Membership Comparison & Dues
    • Welcome New Members
    • Renew Membership/Update Personal Information
  • Shop
  • Contribute
    • AGO Giving Day 2022
    • AGO Funds
      • Annual Fund
      • Endowment Fund
      • Michael Bedford New Music Fund
      • New Organist Fund
      • Nita Akin Fund
      • Edward A. Hansen Memorial Fund
      • S. Lewis Elmer Fund
    • Clarence Dickinson Society
    • Lifetime Membership
    • 2023 Gala
  • Education
    • Webinars, Recitals, and Workshops
    • The New Organist
    • Certification
    • AGO Scholarships
    • Pipe Organ Encounters
    • Educational Resources
    • Academic Degree Programs
    • Organ Auditions Guide
  • Careers
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find an Organ Teacher
    • Find a Substitute Organist
    • Grievances
    • Codes & Procedures
    • Employment
    • Career Development & Support
      • Employing Musicians Handbook
  • Competitions & New Music
    • New Music Competitions
      • AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition
      • AGO/Marilyn Mason Award in Organ Composition
      • Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Annual Competition
      • AGO Student Commissioning Project
    • Performance Competitions
      • AGO/Quimby Regional Competitions for Young Organists (RCYO)
      • AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance (NYACOP)
      • AGO National Competition in Organ Improvisation (NCOI)
    • AGO New Music Commissions
    • Looking for New Music?
  • TAO & Advertising
    • Read TAO Online
    • The American Organist
      • Subscribe to The American Organist (TAO)
      • TAO Feature Articles
      • Submit Material
        • Recent Installations
        • Calendar Dates
        • Summer Events Form
    • Advertising
  • Conventions
    • Regional Conventions
    • National Conventions
    • OrganFest
    • January Jubilee

Pogorzelski-Yankee Memorial Scholarships

The Pogorzelski-Yankee Memorial  Scholarships are awarded for a period of up to four years to four undergraduates.  One entering college freshman scholarship will be awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year ($15,000 annually). Each award is renewable if requirements are met.

The online application period begins January 1st and extends to February 15, 2023. The AGO Committee on Scholarships will review the scholarship applications from February 15 to April 15, 2023 and determine the scholarship recipient. The applicant’s present performance ability is necessarily the starting point; however, applications are judged by the potential for future performance excellence at the organ, and whether financial support will make a crucial difference in the applicant’s career as an organist. Questions and Answers about the Pogorzelski-Yankee Scholarship Application

Apply for the 2023-2024 Pogorzelski-Yankee Scholarship
Application Information
  1. Student applicants must be either 1) an entering college freshman in Fall 2023.
  2. Students must have a desire to commit a significant portion of the two years following graduation to teaching, performing, or other serious endeavor with respect to the organ.
  3. Students must attend, or plan to attend, a nationally or regionally accredited post-secondary institution (college, university, or conservatory). By the time awards are made, students must provide verification of acceptance to the institution.
  4. Students must attend their institution as full-time students.
  5. Students must have verifiable financial need to be awarded this scholarship.
  6. Membership in the AGO is required.
  7. Applicants may not be the children or grandchildren of American Guild of Organists staff members, board members, or scholarship committee members.
  8. Applicants may not be related to Ronald G. Pogorzelski or Lester D. Yankee.
Performance Requirements for the 2023-2024 Scholarship

Students must have the ability to showcase their talent on the organ through four (4) unedited, contiguous video recorded performances: three repertoire pieces and one hymn.  Outstanding performances can occur at any playing level. Performances will be judged based on the quality of the performance, not the difficulty of the music. The focus should be on demonstrating excellence in performance at the applicant’s current level of playing. Each recording must clearly show the applicant performing at the organ console. It must be of sufficient quality to ensure a fair assessment of the candidate’s abilities by the application reviewers. Different instruments may be used; the candidate must provide a specification for each instrument used. Individual pieces may not be edited. We strongly encourage candidates to seek assistance from a school representative, technical adviser, or instructor to complete the video requirement.

    • The total time of the three repertoire recordings (not including the hymn) combined should not exceed  30 minutes.
      • One composition by J.S. Bach is required (for a trio sonata, your Bach submission should be two sonata movements – either I & II or II & III).
      •  Two additional contrasting works composed after 1800 are also required.
    • The performance of the hymn is not  to be counted as a part of the 30-minute time limit for the repertoire pieces.
      • Any one of the following hymns is required: 1) “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” – Divinum mysterium, 2) “All Creatures of our God and King” – Laast uns erfreuen, or 3) “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” – Lauda anima.  An introduction and a full rendering (all verses) should be included, as if you were leading your congregation in singing the entire hymn.
    • If multiple organs are used, applicants must list the type of instrument for each piece.
Additional Application Requirements
  1. Students must provide two letters of recommendation: One from their most recent organ instructor, and one from another music or education professional.
  2. Students must compose and submit two essays, each up to 750 words in length: 1) Why do you need this scholarship? Explain the degree of your financial need, and outline any extenuating circumstances, and 2) Describe your passion for the organ and its literature. Each essay must be written at a level of sophistication expected of an incoming or current college student. The essays should focus on goals, achievement and dedication, and financial need. The essays will be judged not only on their content, but on clarity and college-level writing ability.
  3. Students must provide information about family income, including an “estimated family contribution” towards college determined by the 2023 FAFSA. This means applicants must have already completed a FAFSA application for the 2023-2024 academic year.
  4. Students must submit an official transcript from their high school or college.
  5. Students will be required to  submit a copy of their admissions letter if available.

All materials must be submitted online by the application deadline. There is no application fee. Applicants should be informed on or near April 15, so that they can include this award information with the school of their choice.

The freshman scholarship will be awarded to the entering freshman only after his or her final acceptance into an organ-related degree program. As per the donors’ wishes, students must agree in writing to commit a significant portion of the two years following graduation to teaching, performing, or other serious endeavor with respect to the organ.

A Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Memorial Scholarship is renewable only if scholarship recipients maintain an overall 3.0 academic GPA in all music coursework. Those who do not maintain this grade point average or for any reason fail to maintain good standing at their academic institution will be placed on probation for a semester; if the situation is not corrected, they will lose the remainder of the scholarship funding. It will not be reinstated. Should a recipient decide to transfer to another accredited music program, the scholarship can be transferred by the recipient if they meet all of the other requirements for maintenance of the scholarship.

The scholarship will be disbursed directly to the bursar’s office of the recipient’s chosen institution.  Two payments will be issued, one at the beginning of the fall semester and the other at the beginning of the spring semester. Before the final disbursement of the scholarship, each scholarship recipient must provide the committee with documentation that he/she will graduate with the intended degree.

Current Students Awarded for the 2022-2023 Academic Year

Henry Rye, College Freshman Award – St. Olaf College
Marshall Joos, College Sophomore Award – Rice University
Jacob Gruss, College Sophomore Award – The Juilliard School
Luca Cantone, College Senior Award – Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Contact AGO Headquarters.

 

 

Primary Sidebar

AGO Professional Certification Links

Service Playing Certification
Colleague Certification
Choir Master Certification
Associateship Certification
Fellowship Certification

Footer

Lessons for the New Organist

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

Search help:

Put double quotation marks around multi-word searches. Hit Enter to process.

Mission Statement

The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ.

Achievement Awards
AGOYO
Antitrust Compliance
Ask the Organbuilder
Change of Address
Chapter Deans Contact
Chapter Documents
Chapter Liability Insurance
Chapter Toolkits
Classified Ads
Contact Us
Find a Job
Find an Organ Teacher
Guild Documents
Insurance for AGO members
Pipe Organ Encounters
Post a Job
Privacy Policy
Salary Guidelines
Strategic Growth Plan

PROFESSIONAL LINKS

Organbuilders & Associations
OrganLive
Other Organ and Choral Music
Other Professional Associations

Pipedreams
Vox Humana

Don’t Fall for Scams

Scammers are everywhere and chapter officers need to be vigilant. Don't respond to requests to send funds unless you know for sure that the request is valid.
American Guild of Organists 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260 New York, NY 10115
Phone: 212-870-2310 Email: info@agohq.org
© 2023 American Guild of Organists
Major support for this website was provided by the New York City AGO Chapter’s Centennial Millennium Fund.
GDPR CONSENT: The American Guild of Organists uses cookies on this website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept” you consent to the use of cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT