Winners
2025 Competition Winners
Recorded round judges Nicole Keller, Anne Laver, and Daryl Robinson had selected five finalists: Daniel Carroll and Daniel Colaner (students of Alan Morrison at the Curtis Institute of Music), Henry Dangerfield (high school junior studying with Catherine Rodland), Trevor Good (student of James Higdon at the University of Kansas), and Bruce Xu (student of Ken Cowan at Rice University). They were invited to perform a 50-minute program, which required a major Bach prelude and fugue; a first or final movement of a symphony by either Vierne or Widor; the commissioned work “Children’s Dances” by Chelse Chen which received its world premiere that day; and music of their choice. Final round judges Jesse Eschbach, Kimberly Marshall, and Stephen Price determined all prizes except the Audience Prize. All prizes are sponsored by the Atlanta AGO Chapter scholarship endowment unless otherwise noted.
Daniel CarrollFirst Prize of $10,000 and $1,000 prize for best performance of the commissioned work (sponsored by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church) went to Daniel Carroll. Daniel is a second-year student at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Alan Morrison and Jeffrey Brillhart. He studied previously with Daniel Aune at the Peabody Conservatory, David Lang of the Reston Chorale, and Michael Galdo. This summer, he studied in France with Thierry Escaich and Philippe Lefebvre, pursuing his passion for French repertoire and improvisation in the French style. Daniel has performed at notable venues including The Piccolo Spoleto festival in Charleston SC, St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington DC, The Wanamaker Store in Philadelphia, and others. Daniel has been a regular church organist since the age of twelve. He now holds the Organ Scholar position at St. Thomas Church, Whitemarsh under the direction of Michael Smith. Daniel grew up in a small town in Northern Virginia. He was part of a group of four young organists who began studying together at the same church. This group allowed for healthy competition and formed close friendships. It was through the camaraderie of the four that Daniel was able to discern organ performance as a career.
Second Prize of $5,000 and $1,000 Audience Prize went to Henry Dangerfield. Henry lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. He began his organ studies with Brian Williams in 2019 after receiving a student scholarship from the Southeast Minnesota Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. In 2021, he started taking lessons from Raymond Johnston (Canon Musician at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis). Since fall 2024 he has been studying with Dr. Catherine Rodland (Artist in Residence at St. Olaf College). In 2023, Henry had the opportunity to attend the Curtis Summer Organ Intensive, where he had lessons with Peter Conte and Alan Morrison, and performed on the Wanamaker Organ. The following summer, he attended the Oberlin Organ Academy. He has played in master classes taught by Chelsea Chen, Alcée Chriss III, Isabelle Demers, Nicole Keller, and Jonathan William Moyer. As a finalist in the 2023 Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival Hartford Competition (High School Division), Henry was awarded the David Spicer Hymn Playing Award and the Audience Prize. Additionally, he won first prize in the L. Cameron Johnson Memorial Organ Competition and the Greater Columbia AGO Young Organist Competition, where he also received the Hymn Playing Award. Henry has performed several recitals at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral (MN), and has given a recital at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (WI) and at Shandon United Methodist Church (SC). He plays regularly for his congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The $1,000 Bach Prize (sponsored by Sarah Hawbecker) was awarded to Daniel Colaner. Daniel captured media attention at the age of 12 with his same-day performances on piano at Carnegie Hall and on organ at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Since then, he has been featured on the NPR radio show From the Top (Show #377) and on PBS with the American Pops Orchestra in One Voice: The Songs We Share–The Sacred. He was named to The Diapason magazine’s “20 Under 30” Class of 2021, and a 2023 National YoungArts Winner with Distinction in Organ/Classical Music. His exposure to music began as cognitive therapy following treatment for cancer as an infant, unleashing his passion for the piano at age 5 and organ at age 10. He completed his pre-collegiate music studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and as a student of David Higgs at the Eastman Community Music School during which time he was the winner of the 2023 Albert Schweitzer High School Organ Competition and the L. Cameron Johnson Organ Competition. He is currently a Bachelor of Music student of Alan Morrison at the Curtis Institute of Music through the generosity of the Dr. Mi Wha Lee Fellowship. As a church musician, he has served as the Organ Scholar at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland, OH, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, and for the RSCM Washington, DC Choral Residency. He presently serves as the Michael Stairs Organ Scholar at the Episcopal Church of The Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA.
2022 Competition Winners
The 2022 Taylor Organ Competition took place on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. First prize was awarded to Katherine Joliff, an organ performance major at the Eastman School of Music. Second prize went to Adam Chlebek, an organ performance student at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The Final Round Judges were Ken Cowan, Janette Fishell, and Michael Unger. Judges for the CD Round were Robert Bates, Jonathan Moyer, and Carole Terry.
Katherine Jolliff – 1st Place
Katherine Jolliff is a 19-year-old organist from Indianapolis. She began piano studies at the age of 5 and started learning the organ in her freshman year of high school from Marco Petricic (University of Indianapolis). After completing her first two years of high school, she finished her studies at Interlochen Arts Academy. She majored in both piano performance and organ performance and studied organ with Tom Bara. Graduating with honors and the Fine Arts Award in Organ Performance, Katherine is currently at the Eastman School of Music as an organ performance major. In addition to being declared a winner at the Regional Competition for Young Organists, she also won first prize in the East Carolina University Young Artists Competition in organ performance (including the Bach Interpretation Prize and the Hymn Playing Award) as well as first place in the 2021 M. Louise Miller and Paul E Knox Scholarship Competition.
Adam Chlebek - 2nd Place
Adam Chlebek is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in organ performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he is a student of Jonathan Moyer. A Polish-American from Chicago, IL, Adam is a recipient of the Oberlin Conservatory Dean’s Scholarship and is interested in performance and sacred music. He has performed throughout the United States and Poland in such venues as St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Evanston, IL; the National Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Doylestown, PA; and the Shrine of St. John Paul II in Kraków. He has participated in masterclasses with Janette Fishell, Nathan Laube, and William Porter. A devotee of choral music, Adam has sung with The Oberlin Musical Union and Collegium Musicum, where he has worked under Gregory Ristow and Steven Plank. Adam is also an avid jazz pianist, having participated in Oberlin’s Performance and Improvisation Ensemble, where he has performed with Jamey Haddad, Jay Ashby, and Becca Stevens. In addition to his studies, he serves as the Director of Music at St. James Catholic Church in Lakewood, OH.
2018 Competition Winners
The 2018 Taylor Organ Competition took place on Saturday, April 21, at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta. First prize was awarded to Chase Loomer, a student at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York and Second prize was awarded to Benjamin Kerswell a student at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.
2015 Competition Winners
The 2015 Taylor Organ Competition took place on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta. First prize was awarded to Nicholas Capozzoli, a student of James David Christie at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio. Second prize went to Alcee Chriss III, also a student of James David Christie at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Final Round Judges were Joan Lippincott, Alan Morrison, and Christopher Young. Judges for the CD Round were Joby Bell, Roberta Gary, and Martin Jean.
2012 Competition Winners
The 2012 Taylor Organ Competition took place on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta. First prize was awarded to Benton Blasingame, a student at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Second prize went to Samuel Gaskin at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Final Round Judges were Doug Cleveland, David Higgs, and Wilma Jensen. Judges for the CD Round were Michael Corzine, Faythe Freese, and Timothy Olsen.
