Jerrick Cavagnaro, the First Prize Winner in the 2024 American Guild of Organists' (AGO) National Competition in Organ Improvisation (NCOI), releases his debut solo album with Pro Organo, performing upon the historic, renovated pipe organ of Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston. The program contains both repertoire selections and several of Mr. Cavagnaro's organ improvisations in a variety of musical styles.

American organist James D. Hicks continues his exploration of organ classics as well as newly-composed, commissioined organ works from Nordic composers in Volume 18 of his Nordic Journey series. In this double-CD release, James is joined in three of the album's 28 tracks by a violinist, a violist and a kantele player. Recorded on the Paschen-Kiel pipe organ in Central Pori Church in Pori, Finland.

James D. Hicks takes a musical voyage with organ music of today, from the USA, to Iceland and Norway and back again, in Volume 17 - a double-CD - of his Nordic Journey series. Recorded in Bodo Cathedral, Norway, and in Hallgrimskirkje in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Australian organist Simon Nieminski showcases the restored 1877 Hill & Son Grand Organ, located in the Barossa Regional Gallery in Tanunda, South Australia, with a program that is autobiographical for the artist.

Organist Frederick Hohman continues his all-Bach organ works series with Volume 5, recorded on April 29, 2024 on the 2023 Taylor & Boody pipe organ at Ancilla Domini Chapel in Donaldson, Indiana USA.

American organist James D. Hicks continues his exploration and rediscovery of pipe organ literature from Nordic nations with Volume 16 in his Nordic Journey series, sub-titled "Germanic Connections." Recorded in the Pauluskirche of Ulm, Germany.

Classical Music

Thomas Heywood plays a program of organ transcriptions and organ classics upon the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ at Merrill Auditorium, Portland City Hall, in Portland Maine. Internationally acclaimed organ virtuoso Thomas Heywood enjoys an outstanding reputation as one of the world’s finest concert organists. As the first and only Australian musician in history to live as a professional concert organist, Heywood is celebrated as “an acknowledged master” for his spoken introductions and truly unique ability to make the greatest music of all time come alive on the King of Instruments. He has an amazingly comprehensive repertoire of over 5,000 works. Not confined to the “organ world,” Heywood’s phenomenal success in reaching out to the vast concert-going public has made the critics boast that he “reincarnates Edwin H. Lemare,” the greatest concert organist of the twentieth century.

This release features Simon Nieminski playing music with connections to Freemasonry and Masonic composers upon the Brindley & Foster pipe organ in Freemasons' Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland. Simon Nieminski was born in London and descended from an unlikely mixture of Edwardian Japanese acrobats, Lancastrian Music Hall artists and a Polish army veteran. He studied in London at the Royal College of Music, at Cambridge University and as Organ Scholar of York Minster. His work as an organist takes him around the UK and abroad, both in concert and over the airwaves. As a recitalist, his programmes often include unusual but attractive repertoire, and it has become his aim to play programmes which appeal to organ buffs and sceptics alike. His recordings have helped to revive the music of unjustly neglected composers.

On this new release, Scott Dettra plays the 325-rank, 20,142-pipe organ of the Cadet Chapel at West Point United States Military Academy. Scott Dettra is Organist of Washington National Cathedral, where is the principal organist and assists Music Director Michael McCarthy with the direction of the Cathedral choirs. In addition to his work at the Cathedral, Mr. Dettra is also Keyboard Artist for both the Washington Bach Consort and the Cathedral Choral Society. He has previously held positions at St. Paul’s Parish, K Street in Washington; St. Mark’s Church, Philadelphia; and Trinity Church Princeton. Additionally, he was principal accompanist of the American Boychoir for many years. A prize-winning organist, he has performed at national conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Anglican Musicians and has appeared at many notable venues throughout the world. In his work with the Cathedral Choral Society, Mr. Dettra has prepared the ensemble for performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Juilliard Orchestra, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Mr. Dettra holds two degrees from Westminster Choir College and has also studied jazz piano at the Manhattan School of Music.

Duo-organists Ken Cowan and Bradley Welch perform original organ music and organ transcriptions for two organists at one console, upon the Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn Casavant pipe organ of Broadway Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas. Ken Cowan is one of North America’s finest concert organists. Praised for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique and imaginative programming by audiences and critics alike, he maintains a rigorous performing schedule which takes him to major concert venues and churches in America, Canada, Europe, and Asia. A native of Knoxville, TN, Bradley holds the Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Musical Arts, Master of Music degrees, and the Artist Diploma from Yale University. He also holds the Bachelor of Music degree magna cum laude from Baylor University. Dr. Welch is a gifted teacher with particular emphasis on maximizing the expressive capabilities of any instrument; effective collaboration with choirs, instruments, and ensembles; and a coordinated, healthy approach to technique that maximizes pedal and manual technique.

For this new album, Frederick Hohman plays original concert organ pieces by the Victorian Organ Virtuoso Edwin Henry Lemare, upon the Aeolian-Skinner organ of the Church of the Epiphany, Washington, D.C. Since his St. Louis concert debut in 1973, where a critic with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch heralded his pedal technique as “the best you’ll ever hear,” Frederick Hohman has excelled in many facets of the organ trade: as a concert organist, as a composer, as a creator of organ transcriptions, as a classical music audio-video media producer, and most recently as an instrument designer and an on-line music instructor. Concert organist Frederick Hohman is also recognized as a composer of organ and choral music, a creator of organ transcriptions, a modern on-line educator, a musical instrument designer, and a classical music audio-video producer.

American organist James D. Hicks continues his Nordic Journey series with Volume IX, featuring new organ music by Swedish composers, as well as Swedish pipe organ classics, played upon the Setterquist / �kerman & Lund pipe organ at Olaus Petri Church, �rebro, Sweden. James D. Hicks lives and works out of Califon, NJ, USA. He holds degrees in music from the Peabody Institute of Music of Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and the University of Cincinnati. Other studies include courses at the Royal School of Church Music in England. He is an Associate of the American Guild of Organists. Jim has appeared as a concert organist throughout the United States, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Over the past decade, he has made nine recordings on the Pro Organo label.

Aaron Tan, the 2018 First Prize Winner in the American Guild of Organists' National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance, performs a varied program of organ works and transcriptions on the Rieger organ of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. Aaron's primary musical tutelage has been with John Tuttle, David Palmer, and Joel Hastings. His musical upbringing started on the piano and later on the violin. He received his Associate (ARCT) diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada at the age of twelve and went on to earn his Licentiate (LTCL) and Fellowship (FTCL) diplomas in Piano Performance from Trinity College of Music, London, England, at 13 and 15 years of age, respectively. When he was 18, he also completed his ARCT diploma in Violin Performance.

Kalle Toivio, the 2018 First Prize Winner in the American Guild of Organists' National Competition in Organ Improvisation, performs standard literature and improvisations upon the Mander organ at Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City. Dr. Kalle Toivio is a Finnish-American virtuoso concert organist and pianist living in New York City. Organist and Director of Music at the Church of Notre Dame in New York City, Dr. Kalle Toivio previously served as the organist of Christ Church Bay Ridge (Episcopal) for five years and served concurrently as the Cantor-Organist of the New York Finnish Lutheran Congregation. He founded and was the leader of the Christ Church Schola Cantorum. Dr. Toivio is on the organ faculty of Manhattan School of Music Precollege as well as on the piano faculty of the Stamford Music Arts Academy.