Organizers of the 11th Annual Spring Dinner are inviting area residents to make a splash by supporting the Kennett Education Foundation.
‘Big Ric Rising’ will provide musical entertainment at ‘The Beach Ball,’ a fundraiser for the Kennett Education Foundation.
“The Beach Ball” will be held on Friday, April 15, from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Mendenhall Inn. Organizers point out that the event will not feature speeches or slideshows. Celebrate the end of worrying about 2015 taxes and enjoy dining, dancing and having fun with your friends, all while raising funds for the Kennett Consolidated School District.
Tickets, which are $100 apiece or $900 for a table of 10, include a three-course meal, hors d’oeuvres, a drink ticket, and a wine pour at dinner. A cash bar will also be available. Music will be provided by Big Ric Rising, a popular bandleader and singer in the Philadelphia area.
Bring your bidding skills since a live and silent auction will be part of the evening. One lucky person will go home with the behind-the-scenes taping of “Good Morning America” while another will win a full set of braces from Cari Orthodontics.
Other items up for grabs include golf and lunch for four at the Kennett Square Golf and Country Club, and a stress-breaker spa package from Currie Hair Skin & Nails. In addition, a 50/50 raffle will be offered.
Delaware Country Chamber is proud to recognize five recipients of the 2016 Small Business Awards. The recipients, selected from hundreds of nominations, stood out for their exceptional business practices and community involvement. The companies and indivduals will be recognized on Thursday, March 31st at The Drexelbrook Events Center in Drexel Hill at an award dinner and networking reception from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Honorees were judged in key categories including involvement in the local business and trade associations and demonstrated contributions to the region, such as donations to Delaware County residents in need. Companies must be locally owned, privately held and must be in business for a minimum of 5 successive years, and are active members of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber President Trish McFarland said, “Together with our presenting sponsor, Comcast Business, I am pleased to recognize the business leaders of Delaware County. Since its formation in 1913, the Delaware County Chamber has been committed to recognizing companies and persons who have made significant contributions to our local economy. We proudly present our annual Small Business Awards, which we have hosted for many decades, to the following recipients. Many thanks to those sponsors that help make these events possible; Comcast Business, Citadel, LPL Financial, Republic Bank, and TD Bank.”
2016 Small Business Award Recipients:
Burns’ Family Neighborhood Markets, Small Family Business Award –Serving the Delaware County community for over 30 years as the neighborhood grocery store including the ShopRite stores of Drexeline, and Brookhaven, and Fresh Grocer in Upper Darby.
JB Braun, Small Business Person of the Year Award – JB is has served as Publisher for Main Line Today Magazine for five years. JB and his team at Main Line Today devotes itself to the communities, traditions and lifestyles of the area, providing insight into its people, history, and culture.
CASA Youth Advocates, Nonprofit of the Year Award – CASA champions abused and neglected young people in our region’s heavily burdened child welfare system.
Oliver Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical, Small Business Award –Servicing the community for over 40 years, recognized as the Best Contractor to Work For in the Eastern US by the ACHR News.
Action Potential, SCORE Delaware County Business of the Year Award – Providing exemplary physical and emotional care for each of our clients and clients’ families to improve their quality of life.
The Small Business Awards dinner includes a networking reception, awards dinner and a presentation from our keynote speaker, Matt Ruth, U.S. Chief Commercial Officer for Adapt Pharma. Adapt Pharma is focused on developing cutting-edge treatments for patients with special medical conditions. Adapt Pharma most recently received approval to distribute NARCAN® (Naloxone Hydrochloride) nasal spray to law enforcement and first responders to temporarily reverses the effects of an overdose of opioid drugs including heroin. Mr. Ruth said “Adapt is proud that our home county has become a role model within Pennsylvania and the country, by increasing access to NARCAN® and combatting our nation’s growing opioid overdose epidemic.”
To participate in the 2016 Small Business Awards Dinner and Networking event call 610-565-3677 or visit www.delcochamber.org for registration.
About the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce:
Founded in 1913, the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce represents businesses’ interests and issues affecting the community. We help Chamber members succeed through proactive outreach and partnering with all levels of government and community organizations though education, networking and collaboration to achieve a healthy economy to drive business forward. For more information on membership and how you can get involved, visit www.delcochamber.org.
The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) wants to restore “the lost arts of childhood,” ranging from stone-skipping to fort-building.
During TLC’s ‘Free Time Adventures,’ children aged 5 to 12 will have time to explore nature.
Toward that end, TLC is offering weekday nature programs for 5- to 12-year-old children over the summer break. Participants will explore the waters, meadows and woodlands of the 300-acre private Bucktoe Creek Preserve near Kennett Square.
Activities will be centered on bygone childhood pastimes, including hiking excursions, creek play, and searching for creatures, according to a TLC press release.
In addition, the children will experience one off-site outdoor field trip and have plenty of time for free play.
The programs, titled “Free Time Adventures,” will be held from July 12 through August 18 on every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $10 per day for TLC members and $20 per day for non-members. Space is limited; visit http://tlcforscc.org/free-time-adventures-in-nature-2/ to learn more and to register.
TLC is a nonprofit based in southern Chester County, whose mission is to ensure the perpetual preservation and stewardship of open space, natural resources, historic sites, and working agricultural lands.
Belfast Connection, an Irish folk trio, returns on Saturday, March 12 to the 2015-2016 Coffee House Concert Series at Darlington Arts Center.
The Belfast Connection will perform at the Darlington Arts Center on Saturday, March 12.
The trio returns to Darlington to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for the fifth straight year, following four years of sold-out shows at the center. Performing a selection of crowd-favorite Irish pub songs and heartfelt ballads, Belfast Connection tells the story of Ireland and its people while inviting audiences to sing along, a Darlington press release said.
The evening begins with a performance by Diane Kadyk on the Celtic harp at 7:30 p.m. followed by Belfast Connection at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($10 for members) and include free coffee, tea, and desserts. BYOB – corkscrew and glasses are provided.
Due to last year’s sold-out performance, advance purchase is strongly recommended. Tickets can be purchasing by calling 610-358-3632 or visiting www.darlingtonarts.org, the release said.
Belfast Connection is a three-piece band featuring Charles Kadyk, Damian Larkin, and Frank Reed. The group infuses each performance with expert musicianship, energy, and good cheer, performing an amalgam of the well-known Irish songs that everyone loves to sing along to in local pubs, mixed with powerful original compositions.
From left to right: Cliff Masscotte, David Hughes, Christine Trumbull, Shaila Ritz, Vanessa Ross
When damage strikes you can be ruined or you can be ready! David Hughes, President of SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford, gave a presentation at the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce about the SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile. ERPs are a free service offered to local area businesses that helps them be ready for whatever happens!
Hughes told the audience that by preparing for an ERP you can minimize the amount of time your business is inactive. Knowing who to call in advance is the key to timely mitigation, and timely mitigation reduces the effects of fire and water damage.
Elements of the ERP include employee and emergency contacts, utility contacts and shut off locations, primary contact information, insurance contacts, property overview and building access information.
SERVPRO of Kennett Square / Oxford is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in Avondale Pennsylvania. The organization serves the communities of Kennett Square, Oxford, Chadds Ford, Unionville, West Grove, Lincoln University, Nottingham, Coatesville and Avondale.
The team provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any size disaster. Highly trained technicians respond immediately to residential or commercial emergencies.
SERVPRO is a Circle Partner of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce providing financial support for Chamber activities. Network at Noon is the monthly luncheon given for Chamber members and guests on the last Thursday at of the month. The next meeting is March 31 at the Gables Restaurant in Chadds Ford. Click here for more information.
For more information about SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford services, contact them at (610) 268-8620.
If the word slinky conjures up engaging images from your youth rather than a seductive evening gown, then the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) has an event for you.
‘The History of the Slinky in Chester County’ will be presented on Monday, Feb. 29, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Barnaby’s West Chester.
On Monday, Feb. 29, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., CCHS will present the latest edition of “History on Tap,” a series that brings history alive with periodic programs at area restaurants and taverns. This session’s topic will be the iconic Slinky toy, which was invented in 1943 by a Delaware County resident.
‘Naval engineer Richard T. James demonstrated the Slinky at the former Gimbels department store in Philadelphia in November 1945, and sales skyrocketed.
Decades later, Bob Swaim, a retired Souderton High math and computer teacher, will speak about “The History of the Slinky in Chester County,” focusing on its enduring popularity. The program will be held at Barnaby’s West Chester, 15 South High, West Chester.
Swaim was raised in Chester County and graduated from West Chester University. A noted speaker on human-powered vehicles and toys, he taught high school math for 30 years and was the first computer teacher at his school. His latest interest is the Slinky, according to a CCHS press release.
James, the Slinky’s inventor, attended Westtown School and later lived in Delaware County, where the Slinky was manufactured. The evening’s presentation will be very visual, and will include a Slinky escalator from Canada. Swaim’s future plans for Slinky include a sculpture, a law about the Slinky, and a movie.
Like all History on Tap programs, food and drink will be available for purchase. The free program is sponsored by BB&T, and WCHE 1520AM. The portable sound system is sponsored by Colleen and Basel Frens.
Who knows when I first heard the story of my father’s newspaper business burning to the ground in a small town in New Jersey in 1943? I wasn’t born until 1945. Yet, I do know that as a very young child, before I was able to read, I became fascinated by a book of pictures of antique fire trucks and imagined myself putting out any fire that might threaten my family.
The Phoenix of financial wherewithal did not arise from the ashes to re-create another newspaper: my father became a proofreader for the Philadelphia Inquirer by night and an advertising and layout editor by day for another, local, paper. Nevertheless, the legend of his publishing venture remained a constant undercurrent in our lives: a wistful “what could have been and was no longer.”
What is the psychological point here? That what has occurred in a family’s past remains part of its present, sometimes explicitly, most times implicitly.
My family’s mythology, a la the fire, was and is that one can attain a dream, lose it, but still live. My magical thinking response as a child, however, was that I would have ridden in on a shiny firetruck and saved the day.
Ignorance of the many ways family mythology gets played out is not bliss. If we do not become conscious and aware of our family history, we can never really mature and move beyond a smaller definition of ourselves. What we may consider our “comfort” zone is really our “constricted” zone.
You might ask yourself how your family mythology defines you. What were the rules from your family of origin, that, although never printed out and stuck by a magnet to the refrigerator, are imprinted in your brain?
What about feelings, for example? Did your family explode with anger or do the opposite — prohibit any display of anger such that you were told never to feel such emotion?
What message did your family maintain about space? Were there boundaries such that each person’s privacy was respected or were your parents intrusive and overbearing? Was there too much isolation, or too much smothering?
What were the family rules about respect? Was there respect of personal boundaries within the family as well as outside the home? Was your body respected both in word and action? Or were you teased, made fun of, or touched inappropriately?
What were the family rules about work and play? Was there a work and study ethic balanced with play and fun activities?
What were the family rules about money? Time? Sexuality? Religion? Secrets? Neighbors? Trust? Food? Death? Life?
How a family of origin approaches these and other themes has a profound effect on the developing child’s view of the world. Maturity occurs when we can recognize what we learned from our past may need to change in the present in order to have a larger future. So, consider—is your comfort zone your constricted zone?
*The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of Chadds Ford Live. We welcome opposing viewpoints. Readers may comment in the comments section or they may submit a Letter to the Editor to: editor@chaddsfordlive.com
**Kayta Curzie Gajdos holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and is in private practice in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. She welcomes comments at MindMatters@DrGajdos.com or 610-388-2888. Past columns are posted to www.drgajdos.com. See book.quietwisdom-loudtimes.com for information about her book, “Quiet Wisdom in Loud Times: The Rise of the Wounded Feminine.”
Dr. Kathleen Curzie Gajdos ("Kayta") is a licensed psychologist (Pennsylvania and Delaware) who has worked with individuals, couples, and families with a spectrum of problems. She has experience and training in the fields of alcohol and drug addictions, hypnosis, family therapy, Jungian theory, Gestalt therapy, EMDR, and bereavement. Dr. Gajdos developed a private practice in the Pittsburgh area, and was affiliated with the Family Therapy Institute of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, having written numerous articles for the Family Therapy Newsletter there. She has published in the American Psychological Association Bulletin, the Family Psychologist, and in the Swedenborgian publications, Chrysalis and The Messenger. Dr. Gajdos has taught at the college level, most recently for West Chester University and Wilmington College, and has served as field faculty for Vermont College of Norwich University the Union Institute's Center for Distance Learning, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also served as consulting psychologist to the Irene Stacy Community MH/MR Center in Western Pennsylvania where she supervised psychologists in training. Currently active in disaster relief, Dr. Gajdos serves with the American Red Cross and participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts as a member of teams from the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Now living in Chadds Ford, in the Brandywine Valley of eastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Gajdos combines her private practice working with individuals, couples and families, with leading workshops on such topics as grief and healing, the impact of multigenerational grief and trauma shame, the shadow and self, Women Who Run with the Wolves, motherless daughters, and mediation and relaxation. Each year at Temenos Retreat Center in West Chester, PA she leads a griefs of birthing ritual for those who have suffered losses of procreation (abortions, miscarriages, infertility, etc.); she also holds yearly A Day of Re-Collection at Temenos.Dr. Gajdos holds Master's degrees in both philosophy and clinical psychology and received her Ph.D. in counseling at the University of Pittsburgh. Among her professional affiliations, she includes having been a founding member and board member of the C.G. Jung Educational Center of Pittsburgh, as well as being listed in Who's Who of American Women. Currently, she is a member of the American Psychological Association, The Pennsylvania Psychological Association, the Delaware Psychological Association, the American Family Therapy Academy, The Association for Death Education and Counseling, and the Delaware County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board. Woven into her professional career are Dr. Gajdos' pursuits of dancing, singing, and writing poetry.
Updated on March 10 to add correction at end of story
Mayor Matthew Fetick set the tone for the Kennett Square Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24, standing in front of the long table where Borough Council members sat, and genially welcoming the 20-plus borough residents who attended.
Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick explains the format of a Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
He laid out the format for the evening, a chance for informal exchange. Fetick reminded attendees that he and the Borough Council members are “here to serve … We are volunteers taking care of our neighbors.” Councilman Wayne Braffman added, “We could switch places; I’m one of you.”
Fetick explained that after general discussion, individuals could ask specific questions of the borough department heads waiting at small tables in the back of the room. The mayor praised them for their dedication and noted their length of service to the borough.
The meeting continued in a cordial and respectful manner with dialogue on several important issues. A large part of the evening’s discussion centered on traffic, specifically mushroom trucks, cars parked illegally in residential areas that are not ticketed, and handicapped parking places that do not comply with guidelines of the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
Denise Aungst questioned why the speed limit is not reduced around Mary D. Lang Elementary School. “Why are tractor-trailers allowed to go so fast near an elementary school?” she asked.
Borough Manager Joseph Scalise explained that this issue was discussed at a recent Public Safety meeting. Since no students walk to this school, state guidelines do not provide for slower speeds. He agreed to look into a speed board and a traffic counter. Findings from such measuring devices could then be sent to PennDOT with a request to consider the matter, he said.
The discussion turned to the high number of trucks that regularly drive through the center of town. Andy Munter shared that he witnessed a truck almost hit the Kennett Square Inn. Councilman Doug Doerfler said, “I almost get hit every day walking to work at this building … If we are to make Kennett Square a walkable town, it has to be a safe walkable town.”
According to Scalise, the Baltimore Pike Corridor Study Group identified two elements at the root of the problem. One, Union Street is a state road so trucks cannot be restricted from using it. Two, the improvement of the intersection of Newark Road and Baltimore Pike is PennDOT’s top priority for Chester County, but work can’t start until the 2016 state budget is passed in Harrisburg.
Among the officials at the borough’s Town Hall meeting were Ester Perez (from left), assistant codes official; Code Enforcement Officer Rusty Drumheller; Randy Behmke, Public Works director; John Morris, Streets Department foreman; Kathy Holliday, finance director; Mayor Matt Fetick; Mary Hutchins, executive director of Historic Kennett Square; Borough Secretary Karen Scherer; and Police Chief Edward A. Zunino.
“This is a huge project, but when this intersection is fixed, trucks will stay on Route 1 and go past Kennett Square,” he explained.
Suggestions from the floor included making Kennett Square a “truck trap” by strongly enforcing truck regulations at the highest level, fixing Newark Road, hiring a second truck inspector, asking the mushroom companies to help find a solution to the problem, and asking truck dispatchers to give detailed directions to drivers that would steer them away from downtown Kennett Square.
Tony Talamonti brought up the subject of the YMCA, a sore spot for him because he believes it takes from the borough’s resources, such as water, and doesn’t pay taxes to support these resources. One suggestion from the floor was to ask Y members to contribute a dollar a month to the borough. Fetick agreed that Borough Council could consider approaching the Y with this request.
A discussion of the borough budget in general ended with Councilman Geoffrey R. Bosley’s announcement that he would like to have quarterly budget meetings, with public input. There was much discussion of the need to balance funding for borough improvements with rising taxes and bills for its residents.
Charla Watson encouraged borough leaders to apply for Community Development Block Grants, as they have in the past. “We need to see that kind of money coming back in,” she said. Watson also shared her concern with housing development in the borough and her worry that ordinances are not being checked. “We need to be careful to avoid a domino effect – more housing on crammed lots means more schools and more taxes down the road,” she said.
Fetick interjected that there are many points of pride for the borough. “We have a full-time police department, our own fire department, our own sewer and water and a full-time borough staff,” he stated.
At the conclusion of the general dialogue portion of the evening, each Borough Council member shared thoughts on the evening’s proceedings.
“I found the exchange of ideas very collaborative. I learned a lot, and I am impressed by the output,” said Braffman. However, he pleaded with residents to be accurate with their statements. “We are not broke,” he said, responding to an example of an erroneous statement. “I understand residents’ concerns, but if we state truths, and not misrepresentations of the truth, we can improve our dialogue and not make mistakes based on inaccuracies.”
Bosley shared that while he may not agree with everything a person says, he is listening. “The work of the council can improve by working through conflict,” he added.
Before attendees dispersed to speak individually with the department heads, Codes Enforcement Officer Rusty Drumheller reminded everyone that they are welcome to speak with department heads in the borough offices anytime.
Fetick stated he was pleased with the sharing of information and ideas at the first Town Hall meeting and announced that there will be another one in the future.
Correction: The delay in making improvements of the intersection of Newark Road and Baltimore Pike is not a result of the state budget impasse, according to PennDOT. The project is awaiting inclusion in the region’s 2017 Transportation Improvement Plan, which is being developed by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission in conjunction with PennDOT and the county planning commission.
Lora has a passion for art, gardening, yoga, music and dancing. She continues to research the life of locally born abolitionist and 1998 National Women's Hall of Fame inductee Mary Ann Shadd Cary. She is a dedicated community volunteer, working with the American Association of University Women, Wilmington, DE branch (programs chair), Chadds Ford Historical Society (former board member) and Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
Lora lives in Birmingham Township with her husband Bill and son Brad. Daughter Erika lives in Pittsburgh with husband Bob and baby Wilhelmina. She is a former French, Spanish and ESL teacher, bilingual life insurance underwriter and public relations coordinator for Delaware Art Museum and Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
PennDOT has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of Feb. 27 through March 5. Motorists are urged to allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones.
Route 322 in both directions will continue to be the site of patching crews, this week between Route 1 and I-95 in Concord, Bethel and Upper Chichester townships. The work, which will require lane closures, is scheduled on Monday, Feb. 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Utility installation will require lane closures on South High Street in West Goshen Township between Yorktown and Lexington avenues. The work will be done from Tuesday, March 1, through Tuesday, March 8.
Lane restrictions will continue on Route 202 in both directions in Birmingham, Thornbury, West Goshen and East Goshen townships between Boot Road and Route 926. Crews are scheduled to work on patching from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday, Feb. 29, through Thursday, March 3.
Drivers on Route 1 in Concord Township will continue to experience lane restrictions between Powell and Stoney Bank roads from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crews will be working on turning-lane reconfigurations through Friday, March 11.
Work is continuing on the project to widen Route 202, which is scheduled for completion in August 2016. Motorists should expect delays for traffic pattern shifts in Tredyffrin and East Whiteland townships.
Work will also continue on the Speakman Covered Bridge in East Fallowfield and West Marlborough townships. Frog Hollow Road between Concord Bridge and Strasburg roads will be closed and detoured until the estimated completion date of Sept. 20.
Burnt Mill Road in Kennett Township remains closed and detoured indefinitely between Norway and Spring Mill roads while advance work continues on repairs to the Burnt Mill Bridge, which was closed on April 24, 2014.
The Birmingham Road Bridge in Birmingham Township is also closed indefinitely to repair structural damage discovered in September. Posted detours will be in effect between Lambourne Road and Stoney Run Drive.
West Boot Road in West Whiteland Township will be the site of utility installation through, Monday, Feb. 29. Lane closures will be needed between Spackmans Lane and Julieanna Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Bridge inspections in Philadelphia will require lane closures this week. On Monday, Feb. 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. One lane will be closed on the Betsy Ross Bridge ramp to I-95; on Monday, Feb. 29, and Tuesday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the right lane will be closed on Route 291 west (Penrose Avenue/Platt Bridge) between 26th Street and Bartram Avenue in Philadelphia; on Wednesday, March 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, the right lane will be closed on I-95 south between I-676 and Broad Street; and on Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the right lane will be closed on the Penrose Avenue south ramp to I-95 south.
If you want to report potholes and other roadway maintenance concerns on state roads, call 610-566-0972 in Delaware County or 484-340-3200 in Chester County, or visit www.dot.state.pa.us and click on “submit feedback.”
Ben Steen, who won the inaugural Longwood Gardens Organ Competition, is shown getting ready to perform.
Longwood Gardens announced the 10 talented organists who will compete in the second Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. Hailing from New Zealand to New York, the international performers will compete on the 10,010-pipe Longwood Organ for the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont first prize.
All competitors will participate in the preliminary rounds June 14-15, with the top five competitors competing in the final round on June 18. The competition takes place in the Longwood Gardens’ Ballroom. Tickets are available now at www.longwoodgardens.org.
“We are pleased to have these 10 outstanding young organists competing in the second Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition,” said Executive Director Paul B. Redman in the release. “They are truly among the finest young talents in the organ world today. We look forward to hearing them perform and to helping further their music careers.”
The competitors include:
Alcee Chriss III, 23, USA
Alcee Chriss III has performed throughout the United States and France and is emerging as an outstanding young concert artist of virtuosity and versatility. He has won top prizes at international and national competitions, receiving First Prize and Audience Prize in the Miami International Organ Competition (2014), the Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition in Wethersfield, CT (2013), and the Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists in Austin, TX (2013). An alumnus of Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Alcee received the Master of Arts degree in historical keyboard and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organ. He has performed in such venues as the Myerson Symphony Center (Dallas, TX), Kennedy Center, Washington National Cathedral, Caruth Auditorium, and St. Olaf’s Catholic Church, Minneapolis MN, among others.
Thomas Gaynor, 24, New Zealand
Winner of the Third International Bach-Liszt Organ Competition in Erfurt/Weimar, Germany, the Sydney International Organ Competition and the Fort Wayne National Organ Playing competition, Thomas Gaynor is rapidly making his mark on the organ scene in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. A student of David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, Thomas is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree as well as the prestigious Artist’s Certificate. Born in New Zealand, his undergraduate studies were in organ with Douglas Mews. He is Assistant Director of Music at Christ Episcopal Church in Rochester, NY.
Michael Thomas Crisostomo Hey, 25, USA
Described as “flashy” and “exciting” (The American Organist), Michael Thomas Crisostomo Hey is a 2014 graduate from The Juilliard School. A few months after graduation, he was appointed Assistant Director of Music and Organist of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. In September 2015 Michael played organ for Pope Francis’s visit to the United States in services at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Madison Square Garden. Michael played Francis Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with the New York City Ballet on multiple occasions and is now in his second season performing with the Paul Taylor Dance Company at Lincoln Center. He is a graduate of Juilliard’s Five Year Accelerated Bachelor/Master Degree Program.
Ryan Kennedy, 21, USA
Ryan Kennedy is a fourth year student at The Juilliard School, studying with Paul Jacobs. He was a winner of the American Guild of Organists’ Regional Competition for Young Organists in 2013, and proceeded to play two recitals at the AGO National Convention in Boston, performing Vierne and Messiaen at Old South Church “with unassuming authority” (The American Organist). Recently, his performances of Bach have been featured on NPR’s Pipedreams.
Colin MacKnight, 22 , USA
Colin MacKnight is in his final year of the Accelerated Bachelor/Master Degree Program at The Juilliard School, studying with Paul Jacobs. Colin is organ scholar at New York City’s Church of the Resurrection under music director, David Enlow. After winning the New York City American Guild of Organists Chapter Competition in March, 2015, Colin advanced to the Northeast regional competition and won first place in June. In October, 2013, he won first prize in the Rodgers Organ Competition. Colin is an associate of the American Guild of Organists.
Virgile Monin, 28, France
Virgile Monin studied at the Conservatory of Nantes in the studio of Michel Bourcier and the Saint-Maur-des-Fosses improvisation class of Pierre Pincemaille. He also attended the composition course at the Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse de Paris. At the Laureate of the Toulouse international organ competition, he won first prizes at both Biarritz and Luxembourg competitions, and also the Grand Prix d’orgue Jean-Louis Florentz awarded by the Institut de France.
Adam Pajan, 29, USA
Called “a rising star definitely worth watching” (Pipedreams), Adam Pajan is Instructor of Organ and Shop Technician at the University of Oklahoma’s American Organ Institute, where he teaches students in organ performance and organ technology. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2014 under John Schwandt following studies at Furman University and Yale University, earning his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees under the tutelage of Charles Tompkins, Martin Jean, and Thomas Murray. His performing career has taken him across the United States and to Germany twice, where he will return in 2016 for a subsequent tour. Adam has been recognized as the first prize recipient in three national competitions (Schweitzer, Poister, and Mader) and received the Firmin Swinnen Second Prize in the inaugural Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition in 2013. An enthusiastic church musician, he serves as Organist and Choir Director at St. Mark the Evangelist in Norman, Oklahoma.
Alessandro Pittorino, 22, Australia
Alessandro Pittorino is the first Australian organist to be accepted to the Juilliard School of Music. Heralded by The Australian as ‘a self-confessed showman who loves to engage with his audience,’ Pittorino is smashing stereotypes of the organ with his unique, flamboyant style and fashion, bringing a new energy to the instrument. At Juilliard, Alessandro is in the Master of Music Program studying with Paul Jacobs. Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Alessandro’s unique style and passion for music has seen this young performer appear as a soloist in many concerts and festivals throughout Australia including the Perth International Arts Festival (2014), the Sydney Organ Academy (2014), The Wagner Birthday Gala hosted by the Wagner Society of WA (2013), as well as many solo concerts.
Joshua Stafford, 27, USA
Joshua Stafford is the Director of Music at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown, New Jersey, where he conducts multiple choirs. He received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music on 2010 as a student of Alan Morrison and a Master of Music Degree from the Yale School of Music in 2012 as a student of Thomas Murray and Jeffrey Brillhart. In demand as a recitalist and improviser, Joshua has performed at many notable venues on the east coast and has been featured on MPR’s Pipedreams and WRTI’s Wanamaker Organ Hour.
Greg Zelek, 24, USA
A native of Miami, Florida, Greg Zelek is a graduate organ student of Paul Jacobs at The Juilliard School, where he is a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship and received his Bachelor of Music degree. Greg performed Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with the Miami Symphony Orchestra in 2011 and played Strauss’s Alpine Symphony with the MET Orchestra in Carnegie Hall conducted by Semyon Bychkov in October 2012. Zelek was also the organist in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Faust, and performed twice with the New World Symphony in 2014. He is the Music Director and Organist at the Episcopal Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy in New York City.
Awards for the International Organ Competition at Longwood Gardens
In addition to receiving the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont First Prize, the winner also receives a contract with Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, and a 2016-17 performance at Longwood. Second place receives the Firmin Swinnen $15,000 prize and third place receives the Clarence Snyder $5,000 prize. New this year is the Audience Choice Prize of $1,000.
A distinguished panel of experts will judge the 2016 Competition including David Briggs, a UK native and now Artist-in-Residence at St. James Cathedral in Toronto; Peter Richard Conte, Principal Organist at Longwood Gardens and Grand Court Organist of the renowned Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia; Ken Cowan, Associate Professor and Head of Organ at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in Texas; Isabelle Demers, Head of the Organ Program at Baylor University in Texas; and Dong-ill Shin, Professor of Organ at Yonsei “University in Seoul” in South Korea.
Michael Barone, executive producer and host of the popular radio show Pipedreams, will serve as competition host.
The Longwood Organ is among the world’s largest concert organs, with 146 ranks and 10,010 pipes. After a seven-year restoration completed in 2011, the organ is restored to its original 1930 condition and incorporates today’s most innovative technology.
