The final event in the Thirteenth National Organ-playing Competition sponsored by the Ruth and Clarence Mader Memorial Scholarship Fund was held on November 9, 2013, at the Claremont United Church of Christ, Claremont, California. The competition was open to organists under age 35 who are residents of the United States. Three finalists had been selected from recorded performances submitted by 18 contestants. In both preliminary and final events the repertoire was unrestricted, except for one required work: Fanfare Prelude by Clarence Mader.
Four prizes were awarded: $6,000 (first prize), $4,000 (second prize), $2,000 (third prize), supplied by the Mader Fund, and $1,500 (audience prize), given by Craig and Jennifer Zobelein. First prize was awarded to Adam Pajan, a DMA candidate at the University of Oklahoma American Organ Institute. He studies with John Schwandt and is both a Graduate College Research Fellow and Graduate Assistant. Winner of both second prize and the audience prize is Weicheng Zhao, who is currently enrolled in the Master of Music program at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where he studies organ with Cherry Rhodes. Third prize was awarded to Jaebon Hwang, who is pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Organ Performance at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music; she studies organ with Ladd Thomas. All three finalists hold positions as church musicians. The instrument used for the final competition was Glatter-Götz/Rosales Opus 2 (1998). Kimberly Marshall, Dorothy Young Riess, and James Vail served as competition judges.
The Ruth and Clarence Mader Memorial Scholarship Fund was founded in 1971 to honor the memory of two outstanding Southern California musicians whose high ideals and vision were an inspiration to their many friends, students, and colleagues. Frances Nobert is president of the organization. In addition to organ-playing competitions, the Mader Fund has sponsored new organ compositions and research projects related to the organ.
—Orpha Ochse
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