The 2022 Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition in Organ Playing took place June 3 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Syracuse, New York. This year’s competition was an in-person event in which three contestants were invited to perform 30-minute programs on the basis of their preliminary round recordings.
The first prize of $3,000, provided by the Arthur Poister Endowment Fund of Syracuse University, and a recital engagement on the historic Holtkamp organ at Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music was awarded to Bruce Xu of Sloatsburg, New York. Xu is an undergraduate organ performance major in the studio of Ken Cowan at Rice University. He also received the most votes for the Will O. Headlee Audience Prize of $500, funded by Don Ingram in memory of Will Headlee, Syracuse University Professor Emeritus of organ and long-time Poister competition coordinator. Xu’s program included Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541, Widor’s “Andante Sostenuto” from Symphonie Gothique, and the “Toccata” from Duruflé’s Suite, op. 7.
The second prize of $1,000, provided by the Arthur Poister Endowment Fund of Syracuse University, was awarded to Nicholas Stigall, a junior organ major of Janette Fishell at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. The third prize of $500, funded by the Syracuse Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, was awarded to Anne Maria Lim, a junior organ major at Eastman School of Music studying with Anne Laver.
The judges for the final round were David Enlow, Erica Johnson, and Michael Unger.
For information: syracuseago.org.
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