Welcome!

​Welcome to the web site of the District of Columbia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Our city and its surrounding areas boast a lively pipe organ culture, to which our Chapter members contribute significantly.

We invite all who love the pipe organ and its music to explore this website for opportunities to attend AGO-sponsored events as well as concerts in our churches and concert halls. All are welcome, no matter if you're an official AGO member or not. Our mission is to share the glories of the "King of Instruments" with everyone.

Perhaps you found this site because you are interested in becoming a member of the Chapter. We would be delighted if you would join our ranks. The Membership Form link offers a simple way to proceed. We also welcome you to become a dual member with us and your home chapter.

Thank you for visiting us. We hope that you will join us for one or more of our seasonal events.

Studio 32 on Jan. 31

Each month chapter members are invited to gather at an area church to explore its organ and to go out for drinks afterward.
Our next Studio 32 session is Jan. 31 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Arlington. Afterward participants will gather at Ted's Bulletin nearby.
Everyone is welcome to play a hymn, composition or improvisation, or just look and listen. No street shoes, please.  

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Workshops postponed

Our Presidents Day program of workshops and recital has been postponed because of covid.

Do you have music you never play?

Consider recycling it to fellow members. We are collecting used scores for redistribution to anyone interested. Recipients are asked to consider making a donation of any size to the Pipe Organ Institute, which offers a year of free organ lessons to qualified piano students. To arrange dropoff or pickup, send an email to dcagochapter@gmail.com. Watch for upcoming Coupler newsletters listing available scores. 

Competition winners announced

David Heinze, left, won first place in the Jan. 8 National Competition in Organ Accompaniment sponsored by our chapter, and Jerrick Cavagnaro won second place.

Heinze is associate director of music at Grace Church in Providence, RI. Cavagnaro serves as assistant director of music and organist at Christ Church in Charlotte, NC. Heinze and Cavagnaro, along with Rees Roberts and Jordan Prescott, were finalists chosen for the live competition at St. Paul’s K Street.  

This competition, organized by chapter treasurer Rob Church and St. Paul's music director, Dr. Jeffrey Smith, was the first of its kind. Most organ competitions focus on solo organ repertoire and not on what most organists do on Sunday mornings-- which is to accompany a choir and play hymns. 

The four finalists were chosen from a pool of applicants who submitted recordings of hymns, a psalm, and accompanying a soloist on “The Call” by Vaughan Williams and a choir on “How lovely is thy dwelling place” by Brahms. 

The live round was challenging, to say the least. The finalists each played two contrasting hymns of their choice, a psalm, and a vocal solo and choral work chosen from a short list. Each was given three hours of practice time on the organ, a 15-minute rehearsal with a soloist and a 30-minute rehearsal with the eight-member professional test choir and the choir director.  Forty-five minutes is not a lot of time to rehearse nearly 30 minutes of music with an unfamiliar director, choir and organ. Each of the four finalists rose to the challenge. 

The DC Chapter thanks Jeffrey Smith and St. Paul’s K Street for hosting this event and Canon Michael McCarthy, professor Tom Murray and Dr. John Walker for serving as the jury. Special thanks go to Jack Bethards, president and tonal director of Schoenstein & Co. Organ builders, for generously underwriting the prize money of $5,000 and $2,500.