SNC:AGO RECITALISTS
Monica Czausz: November 17, 2017
A true rising star among young classical musicians, Monica Czausz has quickly made a name for herself as one of the finest young American organists on the scene today. She was recognized as one of the top 20 organists under 30 in the May 2016 issue of The Diapason for her "superior accomplishments, leadership, creativity, and innovative thinking". She has received first prize in numerous competitions, including the 2015 American Guild of Organists Region VII: Southwest, 2015 Schweitzer Competition In the Young Professionals' Division, the 2013 William C. Hall Competition, the. 2012 L. Cameron Johnson, and the 2011 Oklahoma City University Competitions.
Monica recently performed at the 2017 Southwest Regional Convention of the AGO in Dallas and the Northeast Regional A60/National RCCO Convention In Montreal. Also during the summer of 2017, she was featured in her third consecutive OHS convention, headlining in a full-length evening performance. In 2016 she performed at the AGO National Convention in Houston Texas, both for Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral, and as a "Rising Star," where she gave "a fabulous performance that displayed artistic mastery far beyond her years" according to The American Organist.
In her performance at the 2016 Organ Historical Society National Convention in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, she was said to have "played with great flair" (The American Organist). In 2015, she was featured at the OHS National Convention in Western Massachusetts, the AGO Regional Convention In Fort Worth, Texas, and the East Texas Organ Festival In Kilgore, where The Tracker reported, "this young lady just blew us all away."
During the summer of 2016, she Accompanied the Christ Church Cathedral Choir on tour to England where they fulfilled residencies at the Cathedrals of St. Paul's (London), Durham, and Bristol. She recently performed for "Pipedreams Live!" at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas and at other major venues including Broadway Baptist Church of Forth Worth, St, John the Divine in New York City, the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, and Trinity Church on Copley Square, She has additionally performed at the recent invitation of the Oklahoma City, Columbus, Richmond, Tulsa, Austin, and Brazos Valley (Texas) chapter's of the AGO. Monica's performances have been broadcast on Pipedreams, WRTI Philadelphia, 91.7 Houston, and KTRU Rice Radio.
Monica Is currently a student of Alan Morrison at The Curtis Institute of Music In Philadelphia, where she is pursuing an Artist Diploma in Organ Performance. In May of 2017, Czausz graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas, where she completed a five-year combined Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music degree program in Organ Performance. Here she studied with renowned professor Ken Cowan and upon graduation, was awarded the Undergraduate Distinction in Research and Creative Work. From September 2015 through July 2017, she served as full-time Cathedral Organist at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) in Houston, Texas, under the leadership of acclaimed director Robert Simpson,
Monica Czausz is under the exclusive management of Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc. Photos by Haley Stage.
Visit the artist’s website, CLICK HERE
PROGRAM
Concerto in D minor, BWV 596: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) arr. Johann Sebastian Bach
[Allegro]
Grave
Fuga
Largo e spiccato
[Allegro]
Three Chorale Preludes: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
All Glory be to God on High, BWV 664
Savior of the Nations, Come, BWV 659
Rejoice, Beloved Christians, BWV 734
Allegro, Choral and Fugue: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)
Salamanca, from Trois Preludes Hambourgeois: Guy Bovet (b.1942)
Passacaglia on a theme by Dunstable: John Weaver (b. 1937)
Phantasie uber den Choral Op. 52, No. 2: Max Reger (1873-1916)
"Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,"