The 53rd biennial National Convention of the AGO ended on a high note on Thursday, June 23rd. A very high note. The evening opened with a greeting from the International Space Station astronaut Jeff Williams.
Also featured in the program from St. Martin’s Episcopal Church was Hans Zimmer’s Cornfield Chase from the movie Interstellar.
Over the course of the 5-day event 1,200 attendees were busy from early morning through the closing of the Exhibit Hall at midnight. A large number of enthusiastic young organists brought a special energy to the convention. A reception on Sunday night in outgoing president John Walker’s suite for AGOYO (AGO Young Organists) members was jam-packed.
Finalists in both the NCOI (National Competition in Organ Improvisation) and NYACOP (National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance) competed in Houston. Results were as follows:
2016 NCOI:
Thomas Dahl 1st place and Audience Prize
Matt Gender 2nd Place
Kalle Toivio 3rd place
2016 NYACOP:
1st place – Katelyn Emerson
2nd place – Kirk Rich
3rd place and Audience Prize – Weicheng Zhao
On the final night Rhonda Furr of the Houston Steering Committee passed the torch to Lynn Bratney from the Kansas City chapter, host of the 2018 AGO National Convention.