Announcing the Finalists of the 2023 ASOFH High School Division Competition

Daniel Colaner

Daniel Colaner captured international media attention at the age of 12 with his same-day performances at Carnegie Hall on piano and at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on organ. Since then, he has been featured on PBS with the American Pops Orchestra in One Voice: The Songs We Share, ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, NPR’s From the Top (Show #377), and BBC’s World Service Newsday. At the age of 16, he was recognized in The Diapason magazine’s “20 under 30” Class of 2021. He received the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award in 2020 and was named a 2023 National YoungArts Finalist (Winner) in Organ/Classical Music. Most recently, he was the 1st Prize and Audience Prize winner at the 2023 Arthur Poister Organ Competition and the L. Cameron Johnson Organ Competition. He performed Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante last spring, as the winner of the 2023 Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition and enjoyed playing the great organs of Paris this past summer, as an Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarship winner. Daniel is a high school senior at HSLDA Online Academy, the Organ Scholar at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and a private organ student of David Higgs of the Eastman School of Music.

Henry Dangerfield

As an 11-year-old recipient of a student scholarship from the Southeast Minnesota Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Henry Dangerfield began organ lessons with Brian Williams in 2019. Since 2021, Henry has been studying with Raymond Johnston. Recently, Henry had the opportunity to attend the Curtis Summer Organ Intensive, where he had lessons with Peter Conte and Alan Morrison, participated in a master class with Isabelle Demers, and performed on the Wanamaker Organ. Earlier this year, Henry gave a solo recital at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis, MN. He plays regularly for his congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sarah Ku

Sarah Ku is presently a 10th-grade boarding student at Groton School, MA, where she is engaged in the study of the organ under the guidance of Daniel Moriarty. Her journey into the world of organ music commenced at the age of 12, when her music instructor at elementary school introduced her to the instrument during her role as a piano accompanist. Then she moved to Clifton College in Bristol, UK, as an organ music scholar when she was awarded the Britton Organ Scholarship. Under the tutelage of James Drinkwater at Clifton, she acquired a strong foundation in the fundamentals, achieving distinction in both Organ and Piano at Grade 8 through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Notably, she also secured the second place in the 2020 St Edmundsbury Cathedral Virtual Organ Competition.

As a student member of the Bristol and District Organists' Association (BDOA), Sarah actively participated in various performances, including a virtual recital, and was honored with financial awards from 'the Edgar Joyce Fund of the BDOA'.

Since her transition to Groton, Sarah has seamlessly integrated herself into the Groton musical community. She frequently accompanies and contributes her voice to the choir, while also playing a significant role in the activities of the Groton Chamber ensembles as a pianist. Earlier this year, she achieved second place in the North Carolina Salem College high school competition within the advanced division. Furthermore, she dedicated her summer this year to attending the Curtis Summer Organ Intensive Program. Beyond her musical interests, she finds joy in computer programming, solving logic puzzles and escape rooms, running cross country, and playing tennis.