The Utah Valley chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), jointly with the Salt Lake City chapter, hosted a chapter-level competition in the Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists (RCYO) on February 26, 2019. Amber Dahlberg was awarded first place, and Riley Palmer received second place. Amber will compete as a chapter winner at the 2019 West Region AGO Convention in Orange County, California, this summer.
Held at The Cathedral Church of St. Mark in Salt Lake City on the Bigelow Opus 35, a 3-manual, 33-voice, 40-rank organ, judges for the competition were Dr. Clay Christiansen, Dr. Gabriele Terrone, and Dr. Kenneth Udy. Jennifer Morgan of the Utah Valley chapter and Heidi Alley of the Salt Lake City chapter served as competition coordinators.
In this competition Dahlberg performed “CORONATION” as a hymn accompaniment; “Trio Sonata No. 2 in C Minor, Largo and Allegro” by J. S. Bach (BWV 526); “King David’s Dance” by Stephen Paulus; and “Variations de Concert” by Joseph Bonnet. Dahlberg is a junior at Brigham Young University (BYU), where she studies organ performance with Dr. Don Cook. In April of 2018 she joined other organ students and faculty members from BYU, along with a handful of local organ enthusiasts, in an organ tour of France, where she had the opportunity to play thirteen notable organs. She is a carillonneur for BYU’s Centennial Carillon Tower, where she plays weekly recitals and for graduations. With her love of music, Dahlberg looks forward to continuing her performing, teaching organ and piano, and having a studio of her own in the future. She also enjoys working with show jumping horses and spending time outdoors with her family.
Riley Palmer performed “CORONATION” as a hymn accompaniment; “Suite Gothique, Opus 25, Movement II” by Léon Boëllmann; “Three Pieces for Organ, Movement II” by Calvin Hampton; and “Prelude and Fugue in D Major” by J. S. Bach (BWV 532). Born in 1998, Riley Palmer is currently an organ student of Dr. Daniel Kerr at BYU-Idaho. He has studied in the past with Julie Eberhard and Dr. Linda S. Margetts, and has been a student of music for years. He has performed many personal recitals, accompanied and sung in a number of choirs, and has also performed with the Young Artist Chamber Players orchestra. Currently on an off semester, he is teaching beginning organ lessons in his hometown of Farmington, Utah.
The Utah Valley and Salt Lake City chapters will present Dahlberg in recital prior to her competing at the regional convention this summer. More information regarding this recital will be forthcoming.
