News

Join us for our last episode of the season to hear what new and innovative projects are being done across the country to inspire connections with new audiences and grow our community of organ music fans!

We know that engaging the public and growing audiences is critical to the future of the organ, but what is the best way of doing that? Marketing and Communication specialists often say "you need to meet people where they are". For the organ music community that means building bridges by programming music and events that will be exciting to new audiences and then letting them know about it through a successful communications plan. In this episode of the Virtual Organ Academy we are going to hear from a variety of guests about how they are engaging their local community in the world of the pipe organ.

With Special Guests: Jessica Costa (North Bay), Maria Gajraj (Montréal), Ethan Hill (Calgary), Aleesha Katary (Ottawa), Paul Wharram (Windsor-Essex)

The presentation begins at 12:00 pm ET, and is free to attend. To participate in the session on Discord, click here to register for instructions. If you prefer to watch on YouTube, click here to access the livestream.

We hope to see you there!

Windsor-Essex Centre President Paul Wharram appeared on a recent episode of CBC's Afternoon Drive to discuss International Organ Day. Click the link below to listen:

All members are cordially invited to a Special Meeting of Members of the Royal Canadian College of Organists for the purpose of appointing new auditors. 

Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm – 12:15 pm ET
Location: Teleconference via Zoom

Background: We have been notified by our auditors, Adams & Miles, that they are no longer eligible to work with us, as they have formed a partnership with our bookkeeping firm, Young Associates. The Board has approved the firm Hogg, Shain & Scheck for the 2025-2026 audit and will present them for appointment of the members at a Special Meeting of Members on Saturday, March 14, 2026. 

To access meeting materials (including Zoom link), go to the Members Discussion Forum (requires RCCO login).

Don't miss the next session of Virtual Organ Academy on Saturday, February 28th at 12:00 pm ET!

As organists, we all have to practice and prepare for upcoming worship services or performances. We also are all searching for the best way to ensure a healthy technique to sustain us over our careers, especially as our bodies change and we adapt to different types of instruments. This Virtual Organ Academy session will feature a discussion with concert organist and university professor Nicole Keller, focusing on some simple concepts to foster a relaxed approach to playing which anyone can do at any organ. In this discussion, we will share our individual ideas and strategies in a collaborative conversation about our lives as organists.

The presentation begins at 12:00 pm ET, and is free to attend. To participate in the session on Discord, click here to register for instructions. If you prefer to watch on YouTube, a link will be posted here before the event.

We hope to see you there!

This annual scholarship of $6,000 is offered by the Ottawa Centre, RCCO, and is intended for a Canadian graduate student in organ, studying either inside or outside Canada, and/or a non-Canadian graduate student who has been accepted to study full-time at a Canadian university in the following academic year.  It is expected that all Hewitt Scholarship winners will plan to use their skills as  organ teachers in the future.  

Application forms for candidates for the 2026 Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Scholarship must be emailed or postmarked by April 30, 2026.  

The past winners are
       
    2005 - Craig Humber
    2006 - Isabelle Demers
    2007 - Michael Unger
    2008 - Ryan Jackson
    2009 - Matthieu Latreille
    2010 - Shawn Potter
    2011 - Wendy Nieuwenhuis
    2012 - Stephen Boda
    2013 - Sarah Svendsen
    2014 - Julie Pinsonneault
    2015 - Rachel Mahon    
    2016 - Shane Murphy
    2017 - no award
    2018 - David Simon and Nicholas Walters
    2019 - Stefani Bedin
    2020 - Samuel Lee and Manuel Piazza
    2021 - Martin Jones
    2022 - Maria Gajraj
    2023 - Alexander Straus-Fausto
    2024 - Owen Spicer
    2025 - Isaac Howie    

Information and application forms are available at www.rcco-ottawa.ca, and further information may be obtained from Frances Macdonnell at fbmacdonnell@sympatico.ca or at 613-726-7984.

Exam registration for 2026 is now open! Click here to access the online application portal.

To learn more about the certificates and diplomas available, visit the Examinations section of our website here.

Don't miss the next session of Virtual Organ Academy on Saturday, January 31st at 12:00 pm ET!

That vast array of buttons, drawstops, expression pedals and other controls on an organ console can seem overwhelming at first glance--but if we start with a systematic understanding of what they are and their possibilities, we can use our (always-limited) setup time much more efficiently and effectively. In the same way, a score with no registration or dynamic indications can seem like a closed book: how do we start exploring the possibilities in a new piece? In this session of the Virtual Organ Academy, Jonathan Oldengarm presents two structured approaches to understanding organ registration, one from the organology side, and the other from the repertoire performance practice side.

The presentation begins at 12:00 pm ET, and is free to attend. To participate in the session on Discord, click here to register for instructions. If you prefer to watch on YouTube, a link will be posted here before the event.

We hope to see you there!