The 2014 First Presbyterian Church National Organ Playing Competition was held March 22 at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Six finalists were chosen from 16 preliminary recorded entries. Thomas Gaynor, a student at the Eastman School of Music received first prize. He was awarded $2,000 and was presented in recital on April 27, 2014 at First Presbyterian Church. Aaron Sunstein, a student at Indiana University, was the runner up and received a prize of $1,000.
Gaynor began his musical studies at the age of ten with piano lessons, moving on to the organ at thirteen. In 2004 he took up an organ scholarship at St. Paul’s Cathedral in his hometown of Wellington, New Zealand, a position he held for seven years; more recently he was awarded the title of Honorary Sub-Organist. He completed his undergraduate studies in organ performance at the New Zealand School of Music under the tutelage of Douglas Mews. He also studied improvisation and liturgical organ playing under Michael Fulcher. As a pianist, he studied with Judith Clark CNZM for six years, eventually gaining the Licenciate diploma in piano performance with distinction from Trinity College, London. Currently he resides in Rochester, NY where he is working toward a master’s degree in organ at the Eastman School of Music studying with David Higgs.
In 2013 Gaynor was awarded second place in the Arthur Poister Organ Competition, and was a finalist in the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. He is the recipient of an Arts Excellence Award from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, the Kiwi Music Scholarship, a Freemasons University Scholarship and the Maxwell Fernie Trust Scholarship. He is currently organist at Salem UCC in Rochester, NY as well as member of the professional St. Michael’s (RC) Chamber Choir.
Sunstein is currently pursuing the DMA in organ at Indiana University where he studies with Christopher Young. He serves concurrently as organist of St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Bloomington, IN. Previously, he lived in the Darlecarlia region of Sweden, where he served as cantor at two historic country churches and received a master’s degree from Musikhögskolan i Piteå as a student of Gary Verkade. His undergraduate training was received at the University of Iowa with Delbert Disselhorst. He was recently named a semifinalist in the 2014 National Young Artists Competition sponsored by the American Guild of Organists (NYACOP). He was also a finalist in the 2013 International Organ Week Nuremburg Competition. In 2012, Aaron received second prize in the Rodland Competition and was a finalist in the Fort Wayne National Organ Competition.
The other finalists were Sho Shirley Cheng, a DMA student of Michael Bauer at the University of Kansas; Katie Minion, an undergraduate student of Janette Fishell at Indiana University; HyeHyun Sung, a DMA student of Robert Bates at the University of Houston; and Aaron Tan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan Laboratory for Complex Metals Research.
Shown in the photo (L to R) are Sho Shirley Cheng, Katie Minion, Aaron Tan, Thomas Gaynor, HyeHyun Sung, and Aaron Sunstein.
The judges were Gregory Crowell, Yun Kim, and Jonathan Moyer. This competition is sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church Music Series. Information regarding the 2016 First Presbyterian Church National Organ Playing Competition will be published in April 2015. For further information, see the church’s website at www.firstpres-fw.org or contact Dr. Chelsea Vaught, director of music and organist, at 260/426-7421 ext. 137 or cvaught@firstpres-fw.org.
The competition instrument was the Jack R. Ruhl Memorial Organ built by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in 1956, consisting of 77 ranks.
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