It may not be until next year but the 2015 St Albans International Organ Festival competitions were launched last Friday (9) in front of the Mayor, Cllr Annie Brewster. The biennial event takes place next July, attracting competitors from across the world to participate in the interpretation and improvisation competitions in St Albans Cathedral.

Past winners include many of the leading organists of our time including Dame Gillian Weir, Andre Isoir, Guy Bovet, Thomas Trotter and Naji Hakim.

The competitions are open to organists under the age of 33 and the closing date for receiving entries is March 16, 2015.

The jury for the recorded pre-selection round comprises French organist Eric Lebrun, Thomas Trotter and David Titterington, the artistic director of the festival.

The competitions take place from July 8-18 and will be at the heart of a multi-faceted international arts festival featuring classical music and music from around the world, dance, jazz, talks, demonstrations and an art exhibition.

The quarter final of the interpretation competition will feature a new work commissioned from the renowned composer Paul Patterson and for the first time, there will be a concerto final round for the interpretation competition with the Wiener Akademie directed by Martin Haselböck.

For the improvisers, there is an opportunity to perform ‘in alternatim’ with sung chant and an array of percussion in the semi-final rounds.

Another first is that one round of the interpretation semi-final will move to Christ Church in London’s Spitalfields and feature the recently restored 1735 Richard Bridge organ.

Details of the jury, the competition and the festival will be available at www.organfestival.com