ISM alum reaches finals for national organ improvisation competition

Congratulations to Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale School of Music graduate Ryan Kennedy (D.M.A. ‘24) for reaching the finals in the 2026 National Competition in Organ Improvisation! Dr. Kennedy will participate in the competition during the national convention for the American Guild of Organists (AGO) this summer in St. Louis, Missouri.

Congratulations are also in order for ISM/YSM professor Jeffrey Brillhart, who has taught organ improvisation to both Kennedy and to current Curtis Institute of Music student Daniel Carroll, another finalist in this year’s competition.

The National Competition in Organ Improvisation (NCOI) seeks to further the art of improvisation by recognizing and rewarding superior performances in the field. Previous competition winners include ISM/YSM alumnus Jerrick Cavagnaro (M.M. ‘20) in 2024 and professor Brillhart himself in 1994.

Read more about this year’s competition on the AGO website.