Longwood Gardens Announces Competitors for International Organ Competition

Ten organists from around the globe selected to compete in June competition

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa., Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Longwood Gardens today announced the 10 organists who will compete in the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. Hailing from Finland to Canada, the performers will compete on the 10,010-pipe Longwood Organ for the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont first prize, the largest cash prize of any organ competition in the world. All competitors will participate in the preliminary rounds June 20-21, with the top five competitors moving to the final round on June 24. The competition takes place at Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and tickets are available at longwoodgardens.org.

"Technique, style, and expertise bring these 10 outstanding young organists to the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition," said President and CEO Paul B. Redman. "We look forward to hearing them perform and to helping further their music careers."

The competitors were selected via audition recordings that were evaluated anonymously by an audition jury comprised of esteemed members of the organ community. Competitors include:

Bryan Anderson, 30, is the Director of Music at Saint Thomas' Episcopal Church and School in Houston. He received his master's from Rice University and holds a bachelor's and Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music.

Amelie Held, 26, is pursuing her Artist Diploma studies at The Juilliard School.

Aidan Hill, 22, is a senior at the University of Kansas where he is Principal Organist at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center.

Samuel Lee, 26, is a doctoral candidate at McGill University studying organ performance.

Colin MacKnight, 29, is the Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas. MacKnight received his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School.

Arthur Nicolas-Nauche, 28, is the titular organist of Saint Gabriel Church in Paris and professor of musical theory at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental de Montreuil.

Alexander Straus-Fausto, 23, is pursuing his master's degree at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He completed his bachelor's at McGill University Schulich School of Music.

Ádám Tabajdi, 29, is a doctoral student at the Liszt Academy, Budapest. He has interned at the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris and was the resident organist of the Sapporo Concert Hall, Kitara, Japan.

Ashley Wagner, 27, is the Assistant Head of Music of Birmingham Cathedral and graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Aleksanteri Wallius, 23, is a first-year master's student at the Sibelius Academy.

Images available upon request.

About Longwood Gardens 
Longwood Gardens is one of the world's great horticultural displays, encompassing 1,100 acres of gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, a 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ, and grand conservatory. Longwood is the living legacy of founder Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954), bringing joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning. Visit longwoodgardens.org.