Fourth Miami International Organ Competition winners announced

The final round of the Fourth Miami International Organ Competition was held at the Church of the Epiphany, Miami, Fla., on February 22, 2008. Sponsored by Fratelli Ruffatti and the Church of the Epiphany, the evening featured three finalists each playing a 25-minute program on the 61-rank Ruffatti organ; an enthusiastic audience of about six hundred people was in attendance. The first prize of $5,000 as well as the $500 audience prize was awarded to Tom Winpenny, who is the Assistant Sub-Organist of St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), studying organ with Thomas Trotter. Christian Lane, currently a Master’s student of Thomas Murray at Yale University, received the $1,500 second prize. The third prize of $1,000 went to 16 year-old Samuel Gaskin of Beaumont, TX., currently a student of Christina Harmon. Judges for the 2006 competition were Robert Bates, Douglas Cleveland, Hans Fagius, Johannes Geffert, Fredrick Kaufman, and John Walker. The Fifth Miami International Organ Competition will take place in early 2010; please check the Fratelli Ruffatti website for more information. www.ruffatti.com