HISTORIC PIPE ORGAN COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Sitka Lutheran Church in Sitka, Alaska is enthused to invite young composers to submit organ works for a composition competition! This fall, Sitka Lutheran Church is celebrating the 30 year anniversary of its volunteer program. This program spreads faith, history, and love to Sitka visitors. As part of this celebration, a concert will be performed on its 1844 Kessler pipe organ, which is the oldest organ west of the Mississippi River. The winning composition will be premiered at this concert.

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Competition Eligibility and Guidelines

• Open to students studying at American high schools, colleges, and universities.

• Compositions must be 7-10 minutes in length and suitable for Sitka Lutheran’s 1844 Kessler organ.

• Submissions must incorporate the melody Finlandia, by Jean Sibelius.

• Composers are encouraged NOT to submit works in a theme and variations form.

• Submissions must not require a pedalboard or more than 1 manual.

• Submissions must be entirely original and not previously performed.

• There is no application fee.

 

Selection Criteria

• Quality of the work.

• Young composer’s potential.

• How well the work reflects Sitka Lutheran’s volunteer program and Finnish heritage.

 

Sitka Lutheran’s 1844 Kessler Organ

• Small single manual, no pedalboard instrument.

• Registration is: 8’ Gedeckt, 8’ Viola de Gamba, 4’ Principal, 4’ Flute, and 2’ Octave.

• It does not have a split keyboard.

• Further information about this instrument may be found at:
  Kessler Organ Information

 

Timeline

• Deadline for submitting Deliverables, described below: July 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM Central Time.

• Notification of the winners: No later than September 1, 2025.

• Concert where the new work will be premiered: October 16, 2025 in Sitka, Alaska.

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