Welcome!

Region IV of the American Guild of Organists covers the Southeastern United States and Bermuda, including the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana. There are seven districts, 58 local chapters, and over 3,000 members. Our work supports the mission of the Guild: To promote the organ in its historic and evolving roles, to encourage excellence in the performance of organ and choral music, and to provide forum for mutual support, inspiration, education, and certification of Guild members.

February 23, 2010

Fourth Annual Young Artist Competition for Pre-College Organists

East Carolina University
April 16-17, 2010

The East Carolina University Young Artist Competition for Pre-College Organists is an innovative outreach program designed to inspire young musicians in our region to strive for the highest level of musicianship and technical accomplishment piano and organ performance. The competition is open to any pre-college student in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia,
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida. In addition to generous monetary prizes, the first place winner will also receive invitations to return to perform at East Carolina University in the 2010-2011 season.

The competition will be staged in two rounds. From the recorded application round three finalists will be chosen to compete live on April 17. All three will receive prizes and will be considered for two special prizes: The Bach Prize and the Hymn-Playing Prize. Organists chosen for the Final Round arrive for practice on Friday, April 16 and may elect to attend The Marriage of Figaro, staged by ECU Opera Theatre at the School of Music at 7:00 PM.

The organ competition will take place in the afternoon of Saturday, the 17th, on the Perkins and Wells Memorial Organ, C.B. Fisk, Opus 126, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, which borders the ECU campus. The weekend will conclude with the awarding of prizes. All recitals, master classes and competitions are free and open to the public. All entrants should complete the application form and submit it by March 15, 2010. For full organ competition details and the application form, please contact Professor Andrew Scanlon at scanlona@ecu.edu.

2010 Distinguished Composer of the Year to perform

David Hurd will perform in concert on Sunday, February 28 at 4:00 pm at historic Sisters Chapel on the campus of Spelman College in Atlanta. A prolific composer of nearly 200 choral, instrumental and organ compositions, David Hurd will be honored at the summer 2010 AGO National Convention in Washington, D.C. Widely recognized as an exceptional concert organist who has performed at many national and regional AGO conventions, Dr. Hurd has won first prizes at the International Congress of Organists in organ playing and in improvisation. He is professor of church music and director of the chapel at The General Theological Seminary in New York. He has also been an adjunct faculty member at Westminster Choir College, Manhattan School of Music, and at Yale University.

February 3, 2010

University of Florida Sacred Music Workshop

May 2-4, 2010, The University of Florida will host the 3rd Annual Sacred Music Workshop. This year's workshop, "Inspiring Worship," will feature guest clinician David Cherwien and guest ensemble the Orlando Deanery Boychoir and Girls Choir. The registration fee is $75 if postmarked by April 15, and $90 if postmarked after April 15. Group rate hotel rooms are available at Holiday Inn University. For more information, please visit the Sacred Music Workshop web page, or e-mail Alyssa Rodgers at jalyssar@ufl.edu or call 352.273.3181.

Pipedreams in Miami - Feb. 26-28

Michael Barone will be hosting a "Pipedreams in Miami Weekend" in conjunction with the Miami International Organ Competition at Church of the Epiphany in Miami Friday, February 26 through Sunday, February 28. For more information, please visit the Pipedreams website.

Tampa Chapter announces Scholarship Competition

As part of an effort to inspire young people to take up organ study, the Tampa Chapter of the AGO is sponsoring a competition for piano or beginning organ students to be held on Friday, February 26, 2010, at Hyde Park United Methodist Church at 8:00 p.m., following the Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza program—to which contestants are also invited.

The winner will be awarded a $500 scholarship for one year’s organ lessons with a qualified instructor. This scholarship is funded by contributions received at our annual “Bach Birthday Bash” held each March.

For scholarship guidelines and an entry form, please contact
Van Howard, Tampa AGO Sub-Dean . The deadline for receipt of the entry forms is Friday, February 19, 2010.