Nationally acclaimed organist Kaminski gives benefit recital for scholarship fund
The American Guild of Organists (AGO)-Brooklyn Chapter, among its many projects, is actively committed to nurturing the talents of young musicians. As such, the chapter has established the 2016 Scholarship Competition to encourage excellence in the performance of organ music and to inspire, educate and nurture future generations of organists.
The chapter has also sponsored events such as “Pedals, Pipes and Pizza” to familiarize youth with this king of instruments. Last year, the Brooklyn Chapter presented Pipe Organ Encounter (POE), hosting 21 young organists (and future organists) who spent a music-camp-intensive week studying and playing the pipe organ with distinguished faculty. In March, the AGO-Brooklyn Chapter held its first student competition, awarding first, second and third monetary prizes to high school and college organ students in the area.
Chapter Dean Ellen Wright and Sub-Dean John Wolfe told the Brooklyn Heights Press that many AGO chapters host similar scholarship competitions, with the specifics determined on a chapter-by-chapter basis. All the money for this competition, to be held on Saturday, March 12, has been raised through donations and ticket sales to special concerts created specifically for this purpose.