December 17, 2021, is the 125th anniversary of the American Guild of Organists!
Chartered as an educational organization on December 17, 1896, the American Guild of Organists has become the world’s largest organization dedicated to organ and choral music.
A Brief History of the AGO
The American Guild of Organists was founded in New York City as both an educational and service organization. We received our charter from the Board of Regents of the State University of New York on December 17, 1896, making us the second professional music association in the U.S. Our first activities included a series of professional examinations for organists and giving prizes in choral anthem composition competitions—programs that are still enjoyed today.
By the 1920s, the growth of the Guild was represented in other major cities where local chapters were formed, including Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Washington, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Dallas. The AGO now serves approximately 12,000 members in 275 local chapters throughout the U.S. and abroad.
The Guild created MUSIC: The A.G.O. Magazine in 1967. A decade later, the name was changed to The American Organist. Today, the full-color monthly journal (available both in print and online) features news of the AGO and its members and chapters, scholarly and practical articles, news from the organbuilding profession, concert programs, and reviews of organ and choral music.
The Guild has made extraordinary strides over the last century and a quarter. Pipe Organ Encounters for youth and adults inspire new and renewed interest in the organ for hundreds of people every summer, while Regional and National Conventions, held in alternating years, showcase beautiful organs in local communities through performances of organ and choral music by world-class soloists and ensembles.
Our educational offerings now include a five-tier professional certification program, scholarships for college students, and distance learning programs for organists at all levels of ability. To encourage the next generation, we are providing free memberships for those under 30 during the 2021–2022 Year of the Young Organist.
AGO by the Numbers in Our 125th Anniversary Year
Voting Members (as of Nov. 1, 2021):
Regular: 4,568
Special: 6,132
Young Organist: 1,284
Independent Regular: 175
Independent Special: 189
Independent Young Organist: 95
Volunteer: 39
Lifetime Member: 76
RCCO: 48
Total: 12,606
Chapters: 276
Certification:
Total number of certificates issued by the Guild since the inception of the certification program:
Fellow: 572
Associate: 2,060
Choir Master: 475
Colleague: 1,349
Service Playing Certificate: 2,538
Total number of current, voting members holding upper-level certification (FAGO, AAGO, and ChM):
Fellow: 120
Associate: 285
Choir Master: 129
Performance Competitions: 3 (all biennial)
- National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance
- National Competition in Organ Improvisation
- AGO/Quimby Regional Competitions for Young Organists
New Music Composition Competitions: 3
- AGO Marilyn Mason Award in Organ Composition (biennial)
- AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition (biennial)
- Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Annual Competition (annual)
Total Competitions: 6
AGO Student Commissioning Project: Four (4) grants of $1,000 awarded each year to four composer and organist pairs
Scholarship Awards (6 annual)
- Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Memorial Scholarships (4 annually)
- The Salisbury Scholarships for Master’s and Doctoral Studies in Sacred Music: Organ, Musicology, and Choral Conducting (2 annually)
Pipe Organ Encounter Scholarships (not competitive; based on financial need): 10-20 annually
Conventions (up to 8 every two years): 1 national in even numbers years; up to 7 regional in odd-numbered years
Pipe Organ Encounters Scheduled for 2022: 8
National Webinars Presented in 2021: 24
Total Number of Individual Funds Comprising the AGO Endowment: 12
Individual Scholarship Funds Established Within the New Organist Fund: 30
AGO Giving Day
To celebrate all that the AGO has done, is doing, and will be doing in the year ahead, the AGO is holding a giving day. Click here to learn more about AGO Giving Day.
