The District of Columbia chapter of the American Guild of Organists is pleased to announce the 2027 Young Organists Competition. The competition comprises two divisions: the Youth Division, for organists 18 years of age or younger, and the Young Artist Division, for organists ages 19–30. Eligibility is determined by the competitor's age on February 20, 2027. A preliminary round will be conducted via submitted recordings, with finalists advancing to the live round.

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Live Round: February 20, 2027
Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2026
Finalists Notified: December 15, 2026
Prizes: $1,500 first prize and $500 second prize in each division

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How to Apply

Apply for the 2027 Young Organists Competition

 

Application Fee: $35 (non-refundable), payable upon submission.

 

Preliminary Round Recording Requirements 

• Candidates must submit audio-only recordings of two contrasting works. The combined duration of the two works may not exceed 15 minutes.

• Each piece must be recorded as a continuous, unedited take.

• Recordings should be of reasonably high audio quality but need not be professionally produced.

• The two works must be submitted as separate audio files via shareable links (Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, or a comparable file-sharing service). Links must remain accessible until the preliminary round has concluded.

• Competitors may reuse repertoire from the preliminary recordings for the live round.

 

Live Round Repertoire Requirements

• One prelude and fugue by J. S. Bach

  • ​For the Youth Division, selections from the Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 553–560 (formerly attributed to J. S. Bach), are permitted. These works are not permitted in the Young Artist Division.

•  One work from the Romantic period

•  One work composed after 1935

 

The total duration of the live-round program may not exceed 30 minutes.

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Competition Rules and Additional Information

Please see the complete Competition Rules for information regarding eligibility, repertoire, judging, scheduling, and the competition instrument.