News

The Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Scholarship, 2024

Application forms for candidates for the 2024 Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Scholarship must be postmarked by April 30, 2024. This annual scholarship of $6,000 is offered by the Ottawa Centre, RCCO, and is intended for a Canadian graduate student in organ, studying either inside or outside Canada, who intends to use  his/her skills as an organ teacher in the future. The past winners  are

2005 - Craig Humber
2006 - Isabelle Demers
2007 - Michael Unger
2008 - Ryan Jackson
2009 - Matthieu Latreille
2010 - Shawn Potter
2011 - Wendy Nieuwenhuis
2012 - Stephen Boda
2013 - Sarah Svendsen
2014 - Julie Pinsonneault
2015 - Rachel Mahon
2016 - Shane Murphy
2017 - no award
2018 - David Simon and Nicholas Walters
2019 - Stefani Bedin
2020 - Samuel Lee and Manuel Piazza
2021 - Martin Jones
2022 - Maria Gajraj
2023 - Alexander Straus-Fausto

Information and application forms are available at www.rcco-ottawa.ca, and further information may be obtained from Frances Macdonnell at fbmacdonnell@sympatico.ca or at 613-726-7984.

The Royal Canadian College of Organists is excited to announce the premiere of Season Three of Organist Launchpad!

In a new two-part episode, acclaimed choral conductor and founder of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, presents a choral masterclass on Moses Hogan's arrangement of the African-American Spiritual 'Music Down In My Soul,' and Andre J. Thomas' arrangement of 'Walk Together Children.' Featuring Rashaan Allwood at the organ.

Produced in partnership with the Canadian International Organ Competition and funded by Canadian Heritage, Organist Launchpad presents instructional videos and masterclasses for organists of every skill level and is now streaming worldwide!

Watch at RCCO.CA
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This year we will be sharing a monthly feature that showcases RCCO Centres from across the country - to celebrate the work they are doing and to glimpse what makes each one unique. In this video, Edmonton Centre President Joachim Segger offers a brief look at their scholarship program, including a performance from one of the recent winners! To check out the video, follow this link or click the image above.

I grew up playing the piano and worked as a piano accompanist for several years before taking a church musician position at Willowdale United Church in North York, Ontario. I realized early on that the piano simply cannot supplant the organ in the context of traditional worship, and with that in mind I found the transition to organ to be quite logical, although it did involve varying degrees of ‘learning on the job’ (which probably applies to most of us in the church music profession, I think). To this day my favourite thing about being an organist is still in regard to my work as a church musician - being able to serve God with an instrument that has the power and versatility of an entire orchestra, and being a part of others’ religious and life experiences. I have to thank Taylor Sullivan and Gregory Paskaruk for my early organ training, both excellent musicians who got me started on the right foot (bad pun).

I currently serve as the Peaker Organ Scholar at St Paul’s Bloor Street on the Classical music team. It’s been a privilege to work with Joshua Slater, our exuberant music director and organist, and to play on such a fine instrument in the heart of the city of Toronto. I’m also grateful to have studied with Dr Patricia Wright and Dr Jonathan Oldengarm, who are not only exceptional teachers but also wonderful human beings. Outside of church, my primary career is in molecular biology research (I studied both science and music in undergrad at the University of Toronto but ended up taking home a BSc and later an MSc). Any spare time I have left I generally enjoy various laid-back activities (reading, doing plant care, discovering restaurants with my friends).

You can hear me play in person at St Paul’s (11am Sundays) or through our live streams here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVqUlL1475L6R34T9KHFc8Q

I began playing the organ when I was a composition major in college, hoping to improve my orchestration skills. However, I soon fell in love with the instrument and its beauty and versatility. I admire the organ for its rich and diverse sounds. Each organ has its own acoustics and character, and I can create different voices by choosing different sounds, even on the same organ. I also like to explore early music and the organ offers me more opportunities than the piano. Playing Bach on the organ is a completely different experience than playing it on the piano. It feels like I have finally found the right instrument for me. I was fortunate to learn from and work with inspiring teachers. I am grateful for the opportunity to study with Dr. Larry Palmer at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) and to work with Dr. Gregg Redner at Metropolitan United Church (London, ON).  

Besides being an organist, I also enjoy composing and orchestrating music. I have had the pleasure of working with various groups, such as Metropolitan Choir School, NISE (Neo Impressive Soloists Ensembles), Seoul Arts Center, Hwaum Chamber Orchestra, Seoul Metropolitan Opera and Gangnam Symphony Orchestra. Some of my works were featured at the June in Buffalo Festival (Buffalo, NY) and Daegu International Contemporary Music Festival of Young Musician’s Society. I also had the honour of having my solo organ piece "Reflections on Arirang" published by ECS Publishing. From 2019 to 2022, I served as a Shipman organ scholar at Metropolitan United Church in London, ON. Although my official term has ended, I am still involved with Metropolitan United as a choir member and organist. I am currently studying choral conducting and looking forward to future opportunities, including playing the postlude at the RCCO Carol Service in London and a recital next spring at Metropolitan United Church.

Check out my YouTube channel here: @ayoungkimorgan

Internationally renowned performers the Scott Brothers Duo present a five-part series on building your online and offline career in today's episode of Organist Launchpad! Improve your branding, video recording, marketing, publicity, social media and more with this deep dive into finding your audience.

Organist Launchpad is funded thanks to a grant from Heritage Canada, and is produced by the Royal Canadian College of Organists in association with the Canadian International Organ Competition.

Watch at RCCO.CA

And if you want to help boost the signal, click through to your social media platform of choice, give us a like and share, and then access the video from there!

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This week, organist Isabelle Demers offers an in-depth workshop on creating and performing orchestral transcriptions at the organ.

Organist Launchpad is funded thanks to a grant from Heritage Canada, and is produced by the Royal Canadian College of Organists in association with the Canadian International Organ Competition.

Watch at RCCO.CA

And if you want to help boost the signal, click through to your social media platform of choice, give us a like and share, and then access the video from there!

Watch via Facebook

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Join performance psychologist Noa Kageyama as he discusses strategies for managing performance anxiety, including having a more positive experience on the stage (Part 1), managing somatic anxiety (Part 2), managing cognitive anxiety (Part 3), practising for performance pressure (Part 4), and managing attention control (Part 5).

Organist Launchpad is funded thanks to a grant from Heritage Canada, and is produced by the Royal Canadian College of Organists in association with the Canadian International Organ Competition.

Watch at RCCO.CA

And if you want to help boost the signal, click through to your social media platform of choice, give us a like and share, and then access the video from there!

Watch via Facebook

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This week join organist David Simon for an in-depth look at the world of organ competitions in this four-part guide to preparing, performing, networking, and job-seeking. As always, Organist Launchpad is made available as a free resource for organists worldwide, thanks to a grant from Heritage Canada.

Watch at RCCO.CA

And if you want to help boost the signal, click through to your social media platform of choice, give us a like and share, and then access the video from there!

Watch via Facebook

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We are very pleased to welcome both Ian M. Clark as our new Chair of Historic Organs, as well as Alison Clark as Chair of Scholarships and Bursaries. We look forward to working with them as we plan for an exciting year ahead!