An announcement has been made of an event in Syracuse, New York that has a connection to Galion history.
The 2024 Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition in Organ Playing will take place this spring, with the three finalists performing in concert on Friday, April 12. The prizes for the winners include a First Prize of $5,000, a Second Prize of $3,000, a Third Prize of $1,500, as well as an Audience Prize of $500.
This prestigious event celebrates the rich legacy of Arthur Poister, one of America’s eminent organists and pedagogues. Arthur Poister served as music director at Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel from 1948 to 1965, and as an organ professor from 1948 to 1967. Poister was taught by such masters as Marce Dupre, titular organist of St. Sulpice in Paris.
The competition was created in his honor in 1976 and stands as one of the leading contests of its kind in America.
Poister was a Galion boy and a graduate of Galion High School. Born in 1898, Poister died in 1980 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery. He grew up in a house which still stands on Harding Way West, now the home of Claire Filiberti.
While growing up in Galion, Poister played for services at both First United Church of Christ, his home church, and at Grace Episcopal. He was a student of Bessie Todd, who also taught Galion and Crestline residents Herb Krichbaum, Joyce Hayden Cating, and Boyd Epperson. This line of instruction continues today with Galion organists and pianists Thomas Palmer and Amy Baxter Jarvis, both students of Krichbaum.
The competition serves as a platform for organists at the collegiate and early professional level to showcase their talent. The competition process involves a preliminary round of recordings, followed by a final live performance round.
