Northern Ireland International Organ Competition   Patrons: Mark Duley, David Hill, James O'Donnell, Dame Gillian Weir The 2013 Competition Large Prize Funds, Major Performance Opportunities, Professional Recordings, Travel Bursaries and New Own Choice Intermediate and Junior Categories The Northern Ireland International Organ Competition, for organists aged 21 and under, will take place in Armagh between Monday 19th and Wednesday 21st August, alongside the prestigious Charles Wood Summer School. Major recital opportunities (including Westminster Abbey) and prize funds (totalling over £2000), once again feature this year, as well as travel bursaries for competitors outside of the UK and Ireland. Mattias Wager, international recitalist and organist at Stockholm Cathedral, will chair the jury, along with David Hill, Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers, and the internationally acclaimed Irish organist, Gerard Gillen. Mattias Wager   Gerard Gillen In addition to chairing the jury, Mattias Wager also will lead a master class for organists and host a programming and presentation workshop. Click here for this year’s categories and prizes Follow us on Facebook - Northern Ireland International Organ Competition    Twitter @NIIOC1     2012 Competition Highlights Northern Ireland International Organ Competition in its second successful year   Budding organists from across the UK and Ireland converged on Armagh again in August to participate in the exciting music competition which is fast establishing itself as the premier platform to showcase the talents of young players.    Pictured at the award ceremony of this year's Northern Ireland International Organ Competition from left: Councillor Sharon Haughey, Lord Mayor of Armagh City and District and the winner of the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition 2012, Ben Bloor, 20, organ scholar at New College Oxford.   Pictured at the award ceremony of this year's Northern Ireland International Organ Competition from left: winner Ben Bloor, 20, organ scholar at New College Oxford, Martyn Noble, 21, organ scholar at St Mary's Battersea who came second, Tom Etheridge, 18, a student at Eton College, third place, and Michael Papadopoulos, 21, organ scholar at Trinity College Oxford, highly commended. In the background from left judges Mark Duley, David Hill and Kimberly Marshall. This year's winner of the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition (NIIOC) Senior Category, taking away a prize of £1000, was Ben Bloor, an organ scholar from New College Oxford. He played a varied programme including Iain Farrington's Fiesta, a suite for organ, which impressed the competition jury and audience by its brilliance as well as his musical interpretation and outstanding musicianship. As part of the prize, Ben Bloor also had the opportunity to perform in Belfast, Dublin and London and Cambridge.   The Northern Ireland International Organ Competition took place again in Armagh this week (20th August) and attracted budding young organists from throughout the UK and Ireland.  This year a special prize of £200 was awarded in memory of the late William McDonald FRCO by Down Music Club to the competitor whose playing of Bach was judged best by the jury. Pictured from left, Elizabeth Bicker and Kathleen Gill from Down Music Club with the winner Martyn Noble (centre), 21,organ scholar at St Mary's Battersea, who also came second in the competition overall.   Pictured at the award ceremony of this year's Northern Ireland International Organ Competition from left: Malcolm Monteith and Stephen Corry from sponsors Allen Organs NI who presented the £1000 prize to winner Ben Bloor, 20, (centre) organ scholar at New College Oxford. Based in Banbridge, Allen Organs NI, through its recording arm Cormont Music, is providing the winner with a professional CD and online promotional package. The company will also give each competitor a recording of their performance.   Speaking after the competition the Chair of the Jury, international organist, Kimberly Marshall, Goldman Professor of Organ at Arizona State University said: "The standard of the organists in the senior class was very impressive. The Jury voted unanimously for Ben Bloor as winner. He is an outstanding player and a versatile musician."   Richard Yarr, chair of the competition, said that it fills a gap for young organists in the international music scene and that he is delighted that NIIOC is leading the way.   “There are very few opportunities for young local organists, and further afield, to show what they can do, and the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition has successfully provided something unique and special.”   The winner in the Intermediate Category was Martina Smyth with highly commended going to Catherine Olver while the joint winners in the Junior Category were Ellen Mawhinney and Richard Carey.      Pictured at the award ceremony of this year's Northern Ireland International Organ Competition 2012, Martyn Noble, 21, organ scholar at St Mary's Battersea who came second and Rowan Black from Greens Foodfare in Lisburn who sponsored the prize of £250  The 2012 Winners The Competition Jury was made up of Professor Kimberly Marshall (chair), David Hill and Mark Duley, and the following were prize winners:   Pictured at the award ceremony of this year's Northern Ireland International Organ Competition from left: winner Ben Bloor, 20, organ scholar at New College Oxford, Martyn Noble, 21, organ scholar at St Mary's Battersea who came second, Tom Etheridge, 18, a student at Eton College, third place, and Michael Papadopoulos, 21, organ scholar at Trinity College Oxford, Highly Commended. 1st Prize Ben Bloor (New College, Oxford)   £1,000 (sponsored by Allen Organs NI) A Professional CD recording and release A Professional Online Package   Hosted recitals in: Westminster Abbey, Trinity College Cambridge, Christ Church Cathedral Dublin and St, Anne's Cathedral Belfast 2nd Prize Martyn Noble (St. Mary's, Battersea) 3rd Prize Tom Etheridge (Eton College) Highly Commended Michael Papadopoulos (Trinity College, Oxford)   Intermediate Category: 1st Prize 1st Prize Martina Smyth (Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin)   £300 (sponsored by Well-Kennedy Partnership, Lisburn) And a performance opportunity in St.Peter's Cathedral, Belfast   Junior Category: 1st Prize Jointly awarded to Ellen Mawhinney (Belfast) & Richard Carey (Belfast)   £200 (sponsored by AA Music, Lisburn)    NIIOC Child Protection Policy