Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square announced ten organists who will participate in the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition that will take place in June. 

The competitors hail from Finland to Canada. They will play on the 10,010-pipe Longwood Organ in hopes of winning the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont first prize. This is the largest cash prize worldwide of any organ competition. 

All ten competitors will take part in the preliminary rounds on June 20 and 21, while the top five organists will move on to the final round that will take place on June 24. 

The competition will be held at Longwood Gardens. Tickets are already available on its website. 

“Technique, style, and expertise bring these 10 outstanding young organists to the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition,” said Longwood Gardens President and CEO Paul B. Redman. “We look forward to hearing them perform and to helping further their music careers.” 

The competitors include Amelie Held, who is pursuing Artist Diploma studies at The Juilliard School, Arthur Nicolas-Nauche, the titular organist of Saint Gabriel Church in Paris and professor of musical theory at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental de Montreuil, and Ádám Tabajdi, a doctoral student at the Liszt Academy, Budapest, Hungary. 

Read more about the organ competition here.

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