News

This week's Funding the Future video comes to us from Michael Dirk, Vancouver Centre Vice President and Education Officer, and Coordinator of the OrgelKidsCAN program for the region. To check out the clip, click the thumbnail below:

Funding the Future is our annual campaign to raise funds to support vital national projects that create opportunities for organ learners and strengthen support for the organ music community. The ongoing success of existing programs and development of new initiatives would not be possible without your support. Please consider making a donation today if you are able. This year, our fundraising goal is $30,000. Each and every donation is deeply appreciated.

 We are deeply saddened to share the news that Dr Giles Bryant, beloved Canadian organist and choral director, composer and educator passed away on November 30, 2025, at the age of 91.  Dr Bryant served as President of the Royal Canadian College of Organists from 1990-1992 and was elected an honorary Fellow of the College the following year. He was widely known for his encouragement of young organists and choristers and will be remembered for the warmth, wit, and generosity he shared with everyone. 

Don't miss the next session of Virtual Organ Academy tomorrow, Saturday, November 29th at 12:00 pm ET!

Do you consider yourself an organist or a pianist? Or, why not both?! Both the organ and piano are rooted in a shared musical tradition and method for training keyboardists and yet also each have their independent playing techniques and approaches. Through discussion led by guest speakers Ryan Baxter and Valerie Hall we will explore the interconnectivity between the piano and organ worlds and where these instruments differ in the areas of performance, pedagogy, practice, and playing technique. This is a great opportunity for keyboardists looking to broaden their understandings of one or both of these instruments, as well as teachers seeking inspiration around assisting students transitioning between organ and piano.

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. To watch on YouTube, click here.

We hope to see you there!

In this week's Funding the Future video, join Dr. Sarah Svendsen, Artistic Director of Summer Organ Academy and Virtual Organ Academy, for a brief overview of the learning opportunities offered by the College. To learn more, click the thumbnail below:

Funding the Future is our annual campaign to raise funds to support vital national projects that create opportunities for organ learners and strengthen support for the organ music community. The ongoing success of existing programs and development of new initiatives would not be possible without your support. Please consider making a donation today if you are able. This year, our fundraising goal is $30,000. Each and every donation is deeply appreciated.

In this week's Funding the Future video, Dr. Peter Nikiforuk shares some of the recent activities of the Music Publications Committee. To learn more, click the thumbnail below:

Funding the Future is our annual campaign to raise funds to support vital national projects that create opportunities for organ learners and strengthen support for the organ music community. The ongoing success of existing programs and development of new initiatives would not be possible without your support. Please consider making a donation today if you are able. This year, our fundraising goal is $30,000. Each and every donation is deeply appreciated.

Funding the Future is our annual campaign to raise funds to support vital national projects that create opportunities for organ learners and strengthen support for the organ music community. As part of this initiative, we will be sharing weekly videos that spotlight some of the exciting programming that is planned for the coming year. 

In today's clip, we join Examinations Chair Dr. Aaron James for a brief overview of the College's exam offerings, including some new programs that are in the works. To learn more, click the thumbnail below:

The ongoing success of existing programs and development of new initiatives would not be possible without your support. Please consider making a donation today if you are able. Your gift helps us to provide more opportunities and engage more people in the organ and its music. This year, our fundraising goal is $30,000. Each and every donation is deeply appreciated.

Funding the Future is our annual campaign to raise funds to support vital national programming that creates opportunities for organ learners and strengthens support for the organ music community. The ongoing success of existing programs and development of new initiatives would not be possible without your support.

Please consider making a donation today if you are able. Your gift helps us to provide more opportunities and engage more people in the organ and its music. This year, our fundraising goal is $30,000. Each and every donation is deeply appreciated.

Click the video below to join President-Elect Dr. Patrick Carter as he shares details of the launch of this year's Funding the Future campaign. Thank you!

My name is Nicholas Busch, and I’ve had the recent honour of earning my Associateship with the RCCO this past May. Prior to this, I’ve received a Masters degree in Collaborative Piano Performance from Western University, studying with Dr. John Hess and Mariana Chibotar-Rutkevich. I’m the Director of Music at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, on Elgin St. in Ottawa, and most of my other work is as a collaborative pianist with several choirs in Ottawa, and teaching private piano lessons. I began my organ studies about 4 years ago, and was very thoughtfully guided towards completion of my ARCCO exam by Wesley Warren, to whom I attribute most of my technical understanding of the instrument. The organ is a fascinating instrument, and what I enjoy most about it is that it has taught me to listen and comprehend music in ways that I simply was not challenged to as a pianist. With my studies in organ performance, as well as choral conducting, I feel that I have become (or rather, am becoming) a more holistic and complete musician. Organists who inspire me include the aforementioned Wesley Warren, whose calm and deliberate approach to the instrument is inspiration in itself, and others who I find myself drawn to in performance include Oliver Latry, Thierry Escaich and Thomas Ospital to name a few. If you’d like to learn more about me please feel free to visit my website: nbusch.ca

The Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Centre's "Friends of Canadian Music Award" is now open for submissions. Follow the link below for more details:

https://www.composition.org/news/friends-of-canadian-music-award-2025/

Organ Festival Canada, now recognized as our most important national outreach vehicle, has a new management model that provides more support for local host committees. The new model, a collaboration between the local Steering Committee, a newly constituted Organ Festival Canada Committee, and a professional Project Manager, will provide a tailored experience for the local Steering Committee, allowing them to determine their desired level of Festival management. The newly constituted Organ Festival Canada Committee and a Professional Project Manager will do the rest!
 
We are currently seeking individuals interested in serving on the Organ Festival Canada Committee to oversee the planning, finance, and development of the 2027 Festival and work with the Project Manager to ensure its successful delivery. Individuals with previous Festival experience and project management skills are encouraged to apply.
 
If you are interested in this exciting opportunity to help grow the Festival and raise awareness about the organ and its music in Canada, please submit a letter of interest and a brief biography to the Chair of Human Resources, Peter West, at info@rcco.ca no later than September 22, 2025.