About
The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. The Guild serves approximately 17,000 members in more than 300 chapters throughout the United States and abroad.
Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, the Guild seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music.
Utah Valley Chapter Organized
In the fall of 1979, a group of organists gathered at the home of Ephraim and Verena Hatch in Provo for the purpose of forming a local chapter of the American Guild of Organists. The chapter was named the Utah Valley Chapter, officers were selected with Gerald Dick as the first dean, and a petition was then sent to National Headquarters for official chartering of the chapter. The charter was issued October 9, 1979; it was signed by Roberta Bitgood, National President of the AGO.
The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to enrich lives through organ and choral music.
To achieve this, we:
- Encourage excellence in the performance of organ and choral music;
- Inspire, educate, and offer certification for organists and choral conductors;
- Provide networking, fellowship, and mutual support;
- Nurture future generations of organists;
- Promote the organ in its historic and evolving roles; and
- Engage wider audiences with organ and choral music.
The American Organist magazine, published monthly by the AGO, is the most widely read journal devoted to organ and choral music in the world.