Organ student Weicheng Zhao takes AGO competition prizes

Weicheng Zhao (MM ’14), a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Organ Studies department, recently won both 3rd Place and the Audience Prize at the American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance (NYACOP). Zhao studies with Thornton faculty members Ladd Thomas and Cherry Rhodes.

The NYACOP competition, which took place in both Dallas and Houston, is internationally regarded as one of the organ community’s most significant events. Zhao’s prizes include cash awards and recital opportunities.