TCAGO Competition in Organ Performance

2026 Competition in Organ Performance

FIRST PRIZE: $2,500 — sponsored by the Schubert Club

SECOND PRIZE: $1,500 — sponsored by Phil Asgian, TCAGO member

Date and Place of Competition

Saturday, April 18, 2026
St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church
17205 County Road 6 Plymouth, Minnesota

Organ

Schantz Organ Co, Opus 2243, 2005

Eligibility

The competition is open to organists under 24 years of age as of August 1, 2026. Competitors must reside (either home or school) in the North Central Region: Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Previous first prize winners of this competition may not compete again.

Registration

A completed official online registration form, registration fee of $25, official proof of age, and proof of AGO membership, must be submitted via a secure link no later than Monday, February 2, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. CST.

Repertoire: please consult the official rules for more details about the repertoire requirements.

1. REQUIRED: A major work by a composer who died in 1750 or before.

Select from two of categories 2-4 below:

2. A work composed between 1800 and 1900

3. A work composed between 1900 and 2000

4. A work composed between 2000 and present

Works chosen in categories 2, 3 and 4 must be contrasting in style, mood and technique.

5. REQUIRED: One of the following hymns:

• “Praise to the Lord, The Almighty” (LOBE DEN HERREN)
• “The Church’s One Foundation” (AURELIA)
• “When in our Music God is Glorified” (ENGLEBERG)

Note: This competition is no longer associated with the National AGO “Regional Competition for Young Organists” (RCYO). The RCYO competition has shifted to a recorded 1st round, and is separate from this competition.

Please download the full Official Rules and Hymn Packet for the TCAGO 2026 Competition in Organ Performance. You may also download the TCAGO 2026 Competition flyer.

The registration deadline is Monday, February 2, 2026 at 10:00 PM CST.

For more information contact:

Isaac Drewes
TCAGO Competition Coordinator
idrewes@centralmpls.org

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TCAGO Announces Winners of the 2025 Competition in Organ Performance

Congratulations to the TCAGO Competition in Organ Performance winners which took place on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina, Minnesota.

Isabel (Munson) Alsum – 1^st prize of $2,500, sponsored by Schubert Club

Henry Dangerfield - 2^nd prize of $1,500, sponsored by Phil Asgian

Jurors:

                David Fienen

                Aaron David Miller

                Ju-Young Lee

Isabel Alsum, a native of Lakeville, MN, Isabel Alsum began studying the organ in high school after receiving the TCAGO Pipedreams scholarship. In May 2024, she graduated from Dordt University (Sioux Center, Iowa) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music: Organ Performance & Pedagogy. There, Isabel studied with Dr. Carrie Groenewold. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Church Music & Organ at the University of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas), where she studies with Dr. James Higdon. Isabel hopes to make an impact in the world of church music by advocating for the pipe organ in contemporary worship contexts and promoting traditional styles of worship music.

Henry Dangerfield, a high school junior, lives in Saint 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). 

Congratulations, Isabel and Henry!