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The Fourth National High School Organ Competition will be held on Saturday, October 10th, 2026, in Truett Seminary’s Powell Chapel. Contestants will rehearse and perform on its Létourneau Organ (III/54). Awards
- Grand Prize: $1,000 (in memory of Dr. Joyce Jones)
- Second Prize: $500 (sponsored by Jack P. Martin, CAGO)
- Young Organist Prize: $500 (sponsored by Létourneau)
- Hymn Prize: $250 (sponsored by Wolf Pipe Organs)
- Bach Prize: $250 (sponsored by John Dixon, CAGO)
- $100 Gift-Certificate from The Leupold Foundation for all five prize winners
Competition Rules
- All students grades 8-12 are eligible.
- Repertoire: One free piece by Johann Sebastian Bach (excluding BWV 553–560) and one contrasting piece by a composer from any other period.
- The ‘Young Organist Prize’ will be awarded among the three youngest contestants.
- Contestants may choose to also perform a hymn of their choice (introduction and three stanzas; interlude and/or re-harmonization are encouraged but not required) if they want to compete for the hymn prize.
- Memorization is not required.
- An assistant for page turning will be provided if needed; contestants are required to change pistons themselves.
- The stoplist of the Létourneau Organ is available at: https://music.baylor.edu/resources/facilities-instruments/powell-chapel-organ
- Travel and accommodation expenses will not be reimbursed; contestants must make their own travel arrangements.
General Information
- Entry documents and fee (see below) must be submitted by August 24, 2026. Entry fees are non-refundable.
- A maximum of 10 contestants will be admitted. If more applications are received, the jury will pre-select based on resume, repertoire list, letter of recommendation and selected repertoire. Candidates will be notified if they are selected by September 4, 2026.
- Contestants must be willing to perform as early as 8:00 a.m on October 10, 2026.
- The order of performance at the competition will be chosen randomly by the organizers.
- Contestants will each get 60 minutes of rehearsal time on the Létourneau Organ on Friday, October 9th, between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
- Practice time will be scheduled by reverse order of distance from Waco, i.e., the candidate living the furthest away will practice last, the one closest will practice first.
- Additional practice organs will be available in the McCrary Music Building on October 9th and 10th.
- An unmarked, published copy of the music must be provided for the judges.
- Prizewinners will be announced at approximately 2:30 p.m. in Truett Seminary. Contestants will receive critique sheets from the judges.
Application Process
Both steps must be completed by August 24, 2026
- Fill out the application and submit your entry fee of $35 online at https://music.baylor.edu/organ-comp-application
- Email your resume and repertoire list and one letter of recommendation to [email protected]
Questions? Contact Dr. Jens Korndörfer, The Joyce O. Bowden Professor of Music and Associate Professor of Organ, at [email protected]
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Event venue
Baylor University School of Music, 110 Baylor Ave,Waco, Texas, United States
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