ECHO Organ Competition | Leuven 2026
When: From 8th till 11th July 2026
Where: in Leuven
Instruments: Goltfuss (1692) and Contius (2022) organs
Condition: Open to organists born after June 30, 1996
Regulations:
Where: in Leuven
Instruments: Goltfuss (1692) and Contius (2022) organs
Condition: Open to organists born after June 30, 1996
Regulations:
Programme
Preselection
Deadline: 31st January 2026 (cfr. section "Registration")
Candidates are required to submit recordings of the following pieces:
First Round
Date: July 8–9, 2026
Number of Candidates: Maximum 12
Goltfuss Organ
Final Round
Date: July 11, 2026
Number of Candidates: Maximum 6
Deadline: 31st January 2026 (cfr. section "Registration")
Candidates are required to submit recordings of the following pieces:
- A fast movement of their own choice from a trio sonata by Johann Sebastian Bach.
- A Chorale Prelude of their own choice by Johannes Brahm.
- A piece from the 16th or 17th century, 3–6 minutes in length, chosen freely from the works of Peeter Cornet, John Bull, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck or Abraham van den Kerckhoven.
First Round
Date: July 8–9, 2026
Number of Candidates: Maximum 12
Goltfuss Organ
- An intabulation by Heinrich Scheidemann, Antonio de Cabezón or Peter Philips.
- “Een Kindeken is ons geboren” by John Bull (choice between one of the versions).
- Own choice of (a) composition(s) adapted to the organ: Total program must not exceed 25 minutes.
- Invention I, IV or V by Benoît Mernier (Billaudot Edition).
- One of the Leipzig Preludes and Fugues (BWV 548; BWV 552; BWV 547; BWV 546; BWV 544) by J.S. Bach, with a total duration under 10 minutes.
- Own choice of (a) composition(s) adapted to the organ: Total program has to be between 25 and 30 minutes.
Final Round
Date: July 11, 2026
Number of Candidates: Maximum 6
- A chorale fantasy from this list:
- Buxtehude: Gelobet seist du, Herr Jesu Christ (BuxWV 188) or Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein (BuxWV 210)
- Reincken: Was kann uns kommen an für Not
- Bruhns: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
- Lübeck: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
- A trio chorale by J.S. Bach form this list:
- Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend (BWV 655)
- Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr (BWV 664)
- Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 676
- Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, BWV 688
- A piece with another musician – choice between:
- a vocal work by Heinrich Schütz, performed together with a singer.
- a violin sonata by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, performed together with a violinist. The precise repertoire and the names of the soloists will be communicated at a later date.
- Own choice of (a) composition(s) adapted to the organ: Total program has to be between 40 and 45 minutes.
Jury
Jury for the preselection: Francesca Ajossa, Pieter van Dijk, Benoît Mernier, Wim Winters, Luc Ponet & Bernard Foccroulle.
Jury for the first and Final Round: Bernard Foccroulle, Chairman (Brussels), Roberto Antonello (Treviso), Pieter van Dijk (Alkmaar), Elias Praxmarer (Innsbruck), Albrecht Koch (Freiberg), Luc Ponet (Leuven), Yoann Tardivel (Toulouse), Juan-Maria Pedrero (Granada).
Jury for the first and Final Round: Bernard Foccroulle, Chairman (Brussels), Roberto Antonello (Treviso), Pieter van Dijk (Alkmaar), Elias Praxmarer (Innsbruck), Albrecht Koch (Freiberg), Luc Ponet (Leuven), Yoann Tardivel (Toulouse), Juan-Maria Pedrero (Granada).
prizes
First Prize: the title of ‘ECHO Young Organist 2027’, € 5.000, 6 concerts in Europe.
Second Prize: € 2.000, 4 concerts in Europe
Third Prize: € 1.000, 2 concerts in Europe
Public Prize: TBD
Second Prize: € 2.000, 4 concerts in Europe
Third Prize: € 1.000, 2 concerts in Europe
Public Prize: TBD
Registration
Deadline: 31st January 2026
To be officially registered, you need to:
To be officially registered, you need to:
- Complete this Google form;
- Pay the entry fee (not refundable) of 50€ on the bank account of "Leuven Orgelstad - ECHO" BE08 7320 7245 5213 with communication "Competition - Name participant"
- Send the following documents to the email [email protected]
- A copy of their passport or ID card (PDF file)
- Curriculum vitae (Word file)
- A recent high-resolution photo suitable for print (JPG file)
- Audio recordings:
The audio recordings have to be sent via WeTransfer to [email protected] and must meet the following requirements:
i. Each piece must be a separate audio file (a total of three files).
ii. The file name must include the name of the piece and the candidate.
iii. Recordings must be WAV or MP3 files of good quality.
iv. Recordings must be unedited and made on a pipe organ.
Videos are not accepted; only audio recordings are allowed to ensure anonymity.
- A copy of their passport or ID card (PDF file)