Press Release

1st Organ Improvisation Competition

Recitals by the three finalists of the
1st ORGAN IMPROVISATION COMPETITION
presented during the
5th FALL FESTIVAL ORGUE ET COULEURS

Tuesday, September 30, Wednesday, October 1
and Thursday, October 2, 2003, at noon
at the Saint Andrew & Saint Paul Church,
Sherbrooke St. W. corner Redpath, Montreal

FREE ADMISSION

For further information: (514) 899-0644 / www.orgueetcouleurs.com

Montreal, Tuesday, September 9, 2003 — The three finalists of the 1st ORGAN IMPROVISATION COMPETITION, Marc D’ANJOU (Quebec City), Ryan ENRIGHT (Montreal) and Dany WISEMAN (Lévis), will each give a recital during the 5th FALL FESTIVAL at the Saint Andrew & Saint Paul Church. The recitals will be held at noon, on Tuesday, September 30, Wednesday, October 1 and Thursday, October 2, 2003. The finalists were selected in August 2003 by competition supervisor Julian WACHNER and the artistic director of ORGUE ET COULEURS Régis ROUSSEAU, on the basis of the recordings provided by the candidates (aged under 40 and from the province of Quebec).

Each of the three organists will perform, at his or her recital, a repertory piece of his or her choosing with a maximum length of 15 minutes and two improvisations. The improvisations must be 12 to 15 minutes long, with the first in the form of “theme and variation” and the second in free form, on musical themes to be provided at the recital by the jury.

The jury members - Julian WACHNER (American composer, conductor, and titular organist of the Saint Andrew & Saint Paul Church), Pierre GRANDMAISON (concert artist and titular organist of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal) and Freddy EICHELBERGER (French organist and harpsichordist) - will attend the three recitals in order to determine the prizewinners.

The awards will be distributed during the concert “Les dissonants,” on Thursday, October 2, 2003, at 8:00 pm, at McGill University’s Redpath Hall. The awards are sponsored by three reputable Quebec organ builders.

1st Prize “Casavant Frères” / $1,000
2nd Prize “James Louder, Inc” / $500
3rd Prize “Juget-Sinclair” / $300

ORGUE ET COULEURS launched the annual competition in 2003 following the foundation of the LIGUE D’IMPROVISATION À L’ORGUE (LIO) the previous year. This entertaining take on organ music, inspired by the improv matches of the LNI, has given a whole new perspective to a traditional art form. From now on, with the Organ Improvisation Competition, the public will have a unique opportunity to discover and appreciate another facet of the impressive talent of Quebec’s organists.

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Media Relations: Marie Marais / 514-845-2821 / marais@cam.org

[7205] News posted Tuesday, September 30, 2003.