Menu
Log in
Log in


National Organ Competition

Concours national d'orgue

We are very excited to announce the results of the 2025 National Organ Competition:

1st place - Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Prize ($6,000): Maria Gajraj
WINNER: Douglas Haas Prize ($1,000), Jan Overduin Audience Prize ($1,000)

Maria Gajraj is a Montréal-based organist and Doctoral Candidate at McGill University. Her research focuses on 20th-century Caribbean organ repertoire. She is the co-founder of Sapphonix Collective, which promotes women, queer, and racialized classical musicians, and has been featured on CBC Radio. Maria has performed internationally, at venues like Blackburn Cathedral (UK), Maison Symphonique (Montreal), and in series such as Cal Performances and Bergen Orgelsommer. A recipient of the Godfrey Hewitt Scholarship (2022) and other awards, her doctoral research is funded by the FRQ (Fonds de Recherche du Quebec). In her concert programs, Maria is passionate about highlighting women and composers of colour. As Deirdre Piper wrote in “Pipelines”, Maria’s “spirited, clean, and colourful performance lent real meaningful significance” to this music. By creating engaging concert programs, and by featuring the organ in innovative and multidisciplinary contexts, Maria strives to break stereotypes, and to make the organ more accessible to everyone.


2nd place - Paul Murray Memorial Prize ($3,000): Qing Xu

Qing Xu is now a doctorate student at McGill University, where she studies with Isabelle Demers. Prior to commencing her studies in Montreal, she completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the China Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in the class of Yuan Shen, a leading Chinese organist. Her professional career in organ performance began in 2018 when she was selected for the Haarlem International Organ Festival’s “Young Talent” program. The same year, she also won the second prize in Concours International d’orgue de Versailles Jeune Talent (Versailles International Young Concert Organist Competition). In 2021, she won the Special Jury Prize at the 12th International M. Tariverdiev Organ Competition. Ms. Xu has performed the Chinese premiere of numerous works and has given recitals in several cities in China. She worked with composer Chang Qi on her piece Micro-carving, which won the International Kajia Saariaho Organ Composition Competition prize and was performed at the inauguration of the Helsinki Music Centre’s new organ in 2024. As a specialist in late Romantic repertoire, several of Ms. Xu’s articles on this topic have been published in Chinese academic journals.


3rd place - Muriel Gidley Stafford Prize ($1,500): Isaac Howie

Isaac Howie, a Vancouver organist, entered UBC at 15, initially to study Forestry. He finished a B.Mus. in May 2025, studying organ with Michael Dirk and harpsichord/improvisation with Alexander Weimann, along with a major in Classics; he also holds an ARCT in piano performance. Since 2021, he has been organist of Holy Family Parish, Vancouver (FSSP), and has participated in workshops with David Briggs, Edoardo Belotti, David Palmer, Marc D’Anjou, and Denis Bédard. Now a sought-after collaborator, he has played with the Vancouver Symphony, improvised for Silent Movie Mondays at the Orpheum Theatre, featured in Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony with the West Coast Symphony, and at Holy Rosary; he also participated in the 2nd Internationaler Feith Orgelwettbewerb last year in Blieskastel, Germany and was selected as winner of the 2025 Godfrey Hewitt Annual Memorial Scholarship. Isaac was President of the RCCO Vancouver Centre from 2024 - 25, and his choral work has been premiered by the Vancouver Chamber Choir. In September 2025, he will begin an M.Mus. with renowned historical improviser Sietze de Vries at the Prins Claus conservatoire in Groningen, Netherlands. 

We would also like to congratulate the three other semi-finalists: Peter Bayer, Samuel Lee and Aron Sipos. The jury commented on the very high standard of all of the candidates who advanced to the last stages of the competition. The semi-final and final rounds were held earlier in July at Organ Festival Canada 2025 in Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph, Ontario.

In addition, we would like to extend our thanks to this year's jurors: Marnie Giesbrecht, Stephanie Martin, Gregg Redner, Lee Willingham and Patricia Wright, as well as the jurors for the preliminary round: Lottie Enns-Braun, Andrew Henderson and Jonathan Oldengarm. Click here to read more about the jury members.


Pictured: The 2023 National Organ Competition Finals at Lawrence Park Community Church, Toronto


Front row: Joshua Ehlebracht (second prize), Alexander Straus-Fausto (third prize), Martin Jones (first prize), Elaine Graham (Godfrey Hewitt Foundation Trustee); Judges: Chelsea Chen, Christa Rakich, Kola Owolabi, Aaron James, Aaron Tan


Back row: Joachim Segger, Marnie Giesbrecht, Chairs, National Organ Competition



About The National Organ Competition

The National Organ Competition was established to encourage and reward excellence in organ playing and is an exceptional opportunity for emerging artists. The Competition is open to Canadian organists, permanent residents and non-Canadian organists studying toward a degree or diploma in Canada, who are under the age of 30 and are members of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. A maximum of six candidates will be chosen from the preliminary round to advance to the live rounds, where they will compete for $10,500 in prizes. The live rounds will take place at Organ Festival Canada 2025 in Kitchener - Waterloo - Guelph, Ontario.

The National Organ Competition also showcases Canadian composers with required Canadian music programming in the Semi-final Round and a newly commissioned work by a Canadian composer set as a mandatory work in the Final Round.

Application for 2025 has closed.

À propos du Concours national d'orgue

Le Concours national d'orgue a été créé pour encourager et récompense l'excellence en jeu d'orgue. Le concours est ouvert aux organistes canadiens, aux résidents permanents et aux organistes non canadiens étudiant et préparant un diplôme au Canada, il est réservé aux candidats de moins de 30 ans membres du CRCO. Les détenteurs d'un premier prix d'une édition précédente ne peuvent pas se représenter.

Le prochain concours aura lieu conjointement avec Festival d'orgue du Canada à Kitchener - Waterloo - Guelph, Ontario en 2025. Un maximum de six concurrents seront choisis parmi les rondes préliminaires pour passer aux rondes en direct, où ils concourront pour 10 500 $ en prix. De plus, le gagnant de la première place du Concours national de jeu d'orgue du RCCO sera présenté dans un récital lors d'une prochaine édition du Festival d'orgue Canada. Les voyages en avion vers les demi-finales et les finales pour les demi-finalistes acceptés seront payés ou pris en charge jusqu'au montant budgété le plus élevé par le RCCO. Les frais d'inscription au Festival d'orgue Canada seront annulés pour tous les concurrents qui atteignent la demi-finale.


Thank you to our supporters


Merci à nos soutiens


We wish to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who made donations in support of this year's competition. This event would not have been possible without your generosity. Thank you for supporting the next generation of talented organists.

$10,000+

BMRB PIPE ORG Inc.

 

$5,000 - $9,999

The Berriman Bailey Foundation

The Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Fund (1st Prize)

 

$1,000 - $4,999

Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger

Paul Murray Memorial Prize (2nd Prize)

Muriel Gidley Stafford Prize (3rd Prize)

W David Weind

 

$500 - $999

Darcy Latremouille

Thomas Leslie

 

$100 - $499

Ross Gibaut

Linn Holness

Shirley MacDougall

David Palmer

Gwen I. Peer

Peter Alan West

 

Nous tenons à remercier sincèrement tous ceux qui ont fait des dons pour soutenir le concours de cette année. Cet événement n'aurait pas été possible sans votre générosité. Merci de soutenir la prochaine génération d'organistes talentueux.

$10,000+

BMRB PIPE ORG Inc.

 

$5,000 - $9,999

The Berriman Bailey Foundation

The Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Fund (1st Prize)

 

$1,000 - $4,999

Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger

Paul Murray Memorial Prize (2nd Prize)

Muriel Gidley Stafford Prize (3rd Prize)

W David Weind

 

$500 - $999

Darcy Latremouille

Thomas Leslie

 

$100 - $499

Ross Gibaut

Linn Holness

Shirley MacDougall

David Palmer

Gwen I. Peer

Peter Alan West

 


Previous winners:

2023

1st - Martin Jones

2nd -Joshua Ehlebracht

3rd - Alexander Straus-Fausto

2017
1st - Jason Biel
2nd - Helen Tucker
3rd - Emmanuel Bernier

2011
1st - Aaron James
2nd - Sarah Svendsen
3rd - Stephen Boda

2005

1st - Ryan Jackson
2nd - Ryan Enright
3rd - Isabelle Demers

2021

1st - Manuel Piazza

2nd -Tyler Boehmer

3rd - Samuel Lee

2015
1st - Stephen Boda
2nd - Helen Tucker
3rd - Sarah Svendsen

2009
1st - Aaron Tan
2nd - Matthew Coons
3rd - Kevin Dill

2003
1st - Andrew Henderson
2nd - Gary Tong
3rd - Geoff Ward

2019

1st  - David Simon
2nd - Jocelyn Lafond
3rd - Alexander Ross

2013

1st - Shawn Potter
2nd - Rachel Mahon
3rd - Stephen Boda

2007
1st - Ryan Enright
2nd - Aaron Tan
3rd - Philip Chow

Précédents lauréats :

2023

1er - Martin Jones

2e -Joshua Ehlebracht

3e - Alexander Straus-Fausto

2017
1er - Jason Biel
2e - Helen Tucker
3e - Emmanuel Bernier

2011
1er - Aaron James
2e - Sarah Svendsen
3e - Stephen Boda

2005

1er - Ryan Jackson
2e - Ryan Enright
3e - Isabelle Demers


2021

1er - Manuel Piazza

2e -Tyler Boehmer

3e - Samuel Lee

2015
1er - Stephen Boda
2e - Helen Tucker
3e - Sarah Svendsen

2009
1er - Aaron Tan
2e - Matthew Coons
3e - Kevin Dill

2003
1er - Andrew Henderson
2e - Gary Tong
3e - Geoff Ward

2019

1er  - David Simon
2e - Jocelyn Lafond
3e - Alexander Ross

2013

1er - Shawn Potter
2e - Rachel Mahon
3e - Stephen Boda

2007
1er - Ryan Enright
2e - Aaron Tan
3e - Philip Chow

Address

The Royal Canadian College of Organists

20 St Joseph St

Toronto, ON M4Y 1J9


Contact
Phone: 416.929.6400
Email: info[at]rcco.ca
Adresse

The Royal Canadian College of Organists

20 St Joseph St

Toronto, ON M4Y 1J9


Contact
Téléphone : 416.929.6400
Courriel : info[
à]rcco.ca

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Abonnez-vous à notre infolettre!

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software