The Fourth Sursa American Organ Competition was held September 9–11, 2022, at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, hosted by the School of Music under the direction of assistant professor of organ Stephen Price. The competition included five pre-professionals and four high school candidates chosen from the preliminary round to compete in the semi-final and final live rounds. Organ repertoire from the 16th to 21st centuries was performed on the three-manual Goulding & Wood Opus 45. On September 10, the judges and music faculty were featured in a concert including solo pieces and the Concerto for Violin and Organ by the Ukrainian composer Victor Voloshinov.
In the pre-professional division, the winner was Daniel Minnick (Eastman School of Music); second prize was presented to Andrew Johnson (Peabody Conservatory of Music); third prize was awarded Zoe Lei (University of Michigan and a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2021).
In the high school division, the winner was Haleena Thompson (student of Jeffrey Pannebaker, Rockville, Maryland); second prize was presented to Ellie Sauser (student of Rachel Spry Lammi, Dayton, Ohio); third prize was awarded to Amanda Moore (student of Carolyn Ripp, Richmond, Indiana); fourth prize went to Catherine Gullick (student of Rachel Spry Lammi).
The judges for the live rounds were Gregory Hand, Kirby Koriath, and Brenda Portman (2016 Sursa laureate). The preliminary round judges were Timothy Olsen, Damin Spritzer, and Stephen Price.
For information: www.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/music.
Other competition news:
Westminster Choir College organ scholarship competition
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