The Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival Hartford announced winners of its Young Professional Division competition, held September 28 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Alexander Pattavina, of New York, New York, is the winner. The first prize was $15,000. The second prize of $7,500 was awarded to Joseph Russell of Houston, Texas. The third prize of $3,500 was presented to Elena Baquerizo of New York, New York. The hymn-playing award of $2,500, given in memory of festival co-founder David Spicer, was presented to Joseph Russell.
Baquerizo and Pattavina study organ at The Juilliard School with Paul Jacobs, who was winner of the festival’s first Young Professional competition in 1998. Russell recently completed a degree in organ performance at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, having studied with Ken Cowan, and previously at the Curtis Institute of Music with Alan Morrison. Russell won the High School Division competition in 2012.
This year mark’s the festival’s 23rd season, and the competition was held in Trinity College Chapel, Hartford. For information: www.asofhartford.org.
