The 2025 Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition in Organ Playing took place April 4 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse, New York. Three contestants performed 30-minute programs on the basis of their preliminary round recordings. This year’s competition was part of the Syracuse Pipe Organ Festival, a three-day event that featured a downtown organ crawl, recitals at Syracuse University, and the launch of a new documentary film project.
The first prize of $5,000, funded by the Syracuse Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and a recital engagement on the historic Holtkamp organ at Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music went to Alex Little, a doctoral student at the Eastman School of Music, studying with David Higgs. He also received the Will O. Headlee Audience Prize of $500, funded by Eugene Tobey in memory of Headlee, Syracuse University Professor Emeritus of Organ and long-time Poister competition coordinator, and alumnus Don Ingram. Little’s program included J. S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541, Elsa Barraine’s Prélude et Fugue No. 2, and Naji Hakim’s “Final” from Hommage à Igor Stravinsky.
Second prize of $3,000, funded by the Arthur Poister Endowment Fund of Syracuse University, was awarded to Celina Kobetitsch, organist at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minnesota. Third prize of $1,500, funded by the Syracuse AGO Chapter, was awarded to Martin Jones, a doctoral student at the Shepherd School of Music of Rice University, studying with Ken Cowan.
The judges for the final round were Nathaniel Gumbs, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2017; Colin MacKnight, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2019; and Caroline Robinson, a member of The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 Class of 2016.
For information: syracuseago.org.
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