August 18, 2016
The jury of the International Haarlem Organ Festival has announced results of its 51st Improvisation Competition.
Geerten Liefting (the Netherlands) has been declared winner, and Martin Sturm (Germany) has been awarded the audience prize.
The final round took place July 22 in St. Bavo’s Church, Haarlem, with four finalists: Lukas Grimm, Peter Schleicher, Sturm, and Liefting. One of the several rounds of the competition included improvising a soundtrack to the 1929 Dutch silent film, Regen (Rain).
The jury included Neil Wallace (the Netherlands, chair), Thierry Escaich and Thomas Lacôte (France), Guy Bovet (Switzerland), Bert van den Brink (the Netherlands), and Ansgar Wallenhorst (Germany). For information: organfestival.nl.
