John Robb Organ Competition/Concours d'orgue John-Robb

John Robb Organ Competition/Concours d'orgue John-Robb

John Robb Organ Competition/Concours d'orgue John-Robb.Sponsored by the Montreal Centre of the RCCO, it is the longest-running competition of its kind in Canada. Details of early competitions are not available, because the Montreal Centre records only date from 1954 and it is known that competitions were held before that year. Originally called the CCO (RCCO) Montreal Centre Organ Competition, it was named in 1968 after John Robb, former organist at St Andrew's-Dominion-Douglas United Church in Montreal. It is open to all Canadian citizens and landed immigrants under the age of 30 who have lived in Quebec for at least one year. Held annually at in November in a Montreal area church (eg, St John the Evangelist in 1985 and 1988, Immaculée-Conception in 1986, St Matthias in 1987 and 1990, Saint Joseph's Oratory in 1989), the competition has been funded over the years by donations from companies and by private contributions as well as by the foundation Les Amis de l'art. In 1990 it awarded a first prize of $600. It has also presented a winners' recital, often broadcast on CBC radio. The jury traditionally consists of three renowned organists; jury members have included Gaston Arel, Antoine Bouchard, Raymond Daveluy, John Grew, Bernard Lagacé, Antoine Reboulot, Wayne Riddell, Patrick Wedd, and Gerald Wheeler.

Winners 1954-69

First prize winners in the 'senior' category have been as follows:

1954 Thérèse Vanier

1955 No competition

1956 Jean (organist) Leduc

1957 No competition

1958 Jacques Larose

1959 Mireille Lagacé

1960 Jacques Larose

1961 Mariette Latreille

1962 Jacqueline Gagnier

1963 Monique Gendron

1964 Yvon Godbout

1965 Noëlla Genest

1966 Monique Legault

1967 Marcel Lachambre

1968 No first prize awarded

1969 Lucie Madden (electro-pneumatic), Hélène Dugal (tracker)

1970-90

1970 Réjean Poirier

1971 Yves-G. Préfontaine

1972 Larry Phillips

1973 Deirdre Morrell

1974 William Tiemersma

1975 Geneviève Lagacé, Keith Sadko (joint winners)

1976 Hélène Panneton

1977 Thérèse Laflamme

1978 Raymond Perrin

1979 Jean Le Buis

1980 Réal Gauthier

1981 Jacques Lacombe

1982 Nicole Lemieux

1983 Sarah Fraser

1984 Catherine Todorovski

1985 Danielle Dubé

1986 Sylvain Caron

1987 Michael Capon

1988 Myriam Chabot

1989 Pamela Hoswitschka

1990 Bruno Vezina