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As the head judge for the upcoming 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, I'm very much looking forward to being at Longwood Gardens—it is such a beautiful, iconic location and the competition will be a gathering of some brilliant musicians.

We are thrilled to soon be welcoming 10 of the brightest young organists from around the globe for our 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition.

For someone of only 21 years of age, Sebastian Heindl has had quite the career in music … and one, as it seems, that the sky would be the only limit.

Haig Mardirosian, master of ceremonies for the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, has been a concert organist for more than 50 years and has more than 20 commercial recordings as soloist, ensemble performer, and conductor to his credit.

Head of the organ department at The Cleveland Institute of Music, Todd Wilson will serve as the head judge for the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition.

Every three years, we welcome 10 of the brightest young organists from around the globe to compete before a panel of renowned judges … all in hopes of garnering the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont First Prize. But before the competitors arrive here at our Gardens, they must first design their repertoire according to our guidelines.

Since winning the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, Sheen has performed around the U.S., in the UK, Spain, and will tour Singapore, Australia, and Canada later this year. But one of his favorite concerts was his May 2014 return to Longwood, offering him the chance to play The Longwood Organ again. “I adore it,” Sheen said about the 10,010-pipe instrument. “It is like no other organ,” he said. Sheen readily admits that the Longwood Organ is still daunting to program and play, even after his hours playing it, but notes the organ is romantic and orchestral and well suited to the kind of music he enjoys playing.