Previous NIIOC Winners
It has been a real privilage to see how past NIIOC winners have grown and developed their playing over the years. To see these players grow and go on to play in some of the world's great venues and for royalty, reminds us just how valuable the competition can be for young players as they establish their careers and take their next big step forward.
2023 George Herbert
(UK)
George is a graduate of St John’s College, Cambridge, first as an organ scholar studying Music and German, and latterly as Assistant Organist. He is now the Assistant Director of Music at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace and also works as an accompanist for the Royal Academy of Music in London and ensembles. These include the Kantos Chamber Choir, Tenebrae and the Gabrieli Consort.
2020 Laura Schlappa
(Germany)
Laura Schlappa studies with Professor Dr Martin Sander at the University of Music in Munich. She has won first prizes at the international organ competitions in Dudelange (2021), and London (2019) and the NIIOC intermediate competition (2018). She has attended organ masterclasses with Christophe Mantoux, Thierry Escaich, Olivier Latry, Ben van Oosten, Martin Ennis and Hans-Ola Ericsson, among others.
2019 Ivan-Bogdan Reincke
(Hungary)
Ivan-Bogdan Reincke is a versatile musician with roots in Hungary and Germany. He is a laureate of several competitions. After completing his organ studies in Budapest, he is now studying church music in Weimar. He also plays the violin and loves electronic and jazz music. Bogdan tries to approach organ music with a new eye of our modern world.
2018 Johannes Krahl
(Germany)
Johannes Krahl is widely considered to be one of Germany’s leading young organists.
He has won first prizes at the Bach competition in Wiesbaden, the Odoyevsky competition in Moscow and the Gottfried Silbermann competition in Freiberg. Johannes is currently studying Church Music at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University of Music and Theatre in Leipzig.
2017 Sebastian Heindl
(Germany)
Sebastian Heindl received his fundamental musical education in Leipzig‘s famous St. Thomas Boys Choir and continued his studies at Leipzig conservatory. After earning numerous competition prizes he has developed a busy performing schedule that takes him frequently to precious historical instruments and illustrious concert venues such as the Philharmonie, Berlin.
2016 Mona Rozdestvenskyte
(Lithuania)
Lithuanian organist Mona Rozdestvenskyte, born in Moscow, studied in Detmold with Professor Martin Sander and is a student in the organ soloist masterclass of Professor Martin Schmeding in Leipzig. She has successfully participated in numerous organ competitions and performed in recitals all across Europe. She works as church musician at the provost church of St. Johann in Bremen, Germany.
2015 Alexander Hamilton
(United Kingdom)
Alexander Hamilton is Assistant Director of Music at Wells Cathedral. He has appeared as accompanist and as soloist on a number of recordings , including a recent album by Voces 8, and has conducted Bach’s B Minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio with his own ensemble, The Kilgour Consort. He will teach on the Oundle for Organists Summer School 2022.
2014 Andrew Forbes
(United Kingdom)
Andrew Forbes, Director of Music at Glasgow Cathedral, is an innovative Scottish organist with the ability to transform the organ into ‘the most sublime of musical conduits’ (The Scotsman). Recent solo performances include the Philharmonie de Paris, Šv Matu International Organ Festival (Lithuania) and St Paul’s Cathedral (London).
2013 Richard Gowers
(United Kingdom)
Richard Gowers performs across the UK and internationally as a pianist, organist, continuo player and conductor. In addition to solo recitals, he has performed with choirs such as the BBC Singers, Helsinki Philharmonic Choir and Tenebrae. In 2018 he released a critically-acclaimed debut CD of Messiaen’s La Nativité du Seigneur, which was a Gramophone ‘Editor’s Choice’.
2012 Ben Bloor
(United Kingdom)
Ben Bloor is Organist of the London Oratory Church, School Organist at Westminster School, and a Junior Fellow at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He enjoys a busy freelance recital career and has had success in several international organ competitions since his NIIOC 1st prize including Boston (2nd prize, 2018) and Montreal (2nd prize, 2021).
2011 Ben Comeau
(United Kingdom)
Ben Comeau, NIIOC’s inaugural winner, is now a freelance organist, pianist and composer. His musical activities span five centuries of the classical canon alongside jazz, samba, cabaret and more. His compositions have been heard in the Wigmore and Royal Albert Halls, and he has been featured on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’.