from the

      artistic director

As the International Organ Festival at St Albans approaches in 2013 the fiftieth anniversary of its founding, we have for 2011 implemented some significant changes to the competitions. These reflect not only how the organist’s profession has evolved in the intervening years but also the interactions within the whole process of ‘live’ musical performance.
The ‘art’ of performance is in essence about communication: it is a unique relationship between the performer and listener in which our visual and auditory senses and emotions are engaged and empowered, not only by the music but also by the potency and persuasiveness of the executants. Competition juries are disadvantaged in this respect when there is the imposition of anonymity whilst competitors are disadvantaged being unable to interact fully with their audience.

Therefore the following revisions to the competition regulations have been made:

• The identity of the competitors will be known to the jury in all rounds taking place in St Albans. The preliminary recorded round remains strictly anonymous;

• The age limit is now 33 for both competitions (born after 16 July 1978);

• In the Interpretation Final, the programme duration is increased to 45 minutes.

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Interpretation Competition

First Prize - £6000

(Donated by the Williams Church MusicTrust)
plus recital engagements at venues which will include:

St Albans Cathedral; St Bavo, Haarlem; Chartres Cathedral; King’s College, Cambridge: St John’s Smith Square, London; St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh and Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

Also representation by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists in the USA for one season and a solo recording to be made by Priory Records in their Great European Organs series.

Second Prize - £2,500

Audience Prize - £500
This prize will be awarded to the competitor who in the Interpretation Final, in the opinion of the audience, gives the most enjoyable performance.

 John McCabe Prize - £500
(Donated by Daniel von Allmen) This prize will be awarded for the best performance of the Commisioned Work.

Improvisation Competition

Prize - £6,000
plus recital engagements at venues which will include: St Albans Cathedral and Ste Clôtilde, Paris.

Peter Hurford Prize – £1,000 (Donated by Mrs Elisabeth Wells) This prize is awarded for the best performance of J S Bach in any round of either competition. Douglas May Award – £800 This prize is awarded for the best performance of a competition work in either the Quarter or Semi-final rounds of either competition.

NEW! Composition Competition

The Choir & Organ Magazine is sponsoring this new competition.

The composer of the winning entry will be interviewed in the July/August 2011 issue of Choir & Organ and the score will be published on the Choir & Organ website as part of its New Music series.

The premiere of the winning entry will be given during the International Organ Festival at St Albans in July 2011.

For full details see the Choir & Organ website - click here.