The judges of the Robert & Nancy Powell Scholarship are pleased to announce the 2025 winner, JAMES JEFFERY, an incoming Senior at the Eastman School of Music, studying with David Higgs.

I understand from our judges that this year was particularly hard to rate given so many fine players. We are pleased that James, who had applied two years before, applied and again, and this time won!

James will join us performing at our annual scholarship recital in June 2026 at Christ Church Episcopal, Greenville. You can hear his required competition Bach, romantic and hymn submissions, and read more about him below.

Bach Piece - Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543, Breitkopf and Hartel New Edition (2015) - Youtube link

Romantic Piece - Allegro from Organ Symphony No. 6 in G Minor, Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) - Youtube link

Hymn Piece - ORA LABORA (Come, labor on), T. Tertius Noble (1867-1953), Edition and Descant by Paul Halley (b. 1952) Introduction by James Jeffery - Youtube link

James’s Bio

James Jeffery is a senior undergraduate Organ Performance major in the studio of David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music. The winner of the 2025 Robert and Nancy Powell Scholarship Competition, James is currently employed as a VanDelinder Fellow at Christ Church, Rochester, playing the magnificent 1776 Casparini replica and 1893 Hook and Hastings organs. He began studying the organ at the age of thirteen with Daniel Brownell at First UCC Milford, CT. He has held the position of Director of Music at Calvary St. George Episcopal Church in Bridgeport, CT, presiding over the showpiece Casavant tracker organ from the Canadian Expo ‘67. He is an accomplished choral bass-baritone, and is currently a member of the renowned Christ Church Schola Cantorum. An emerging organist-composer, he has been recognized for his compositional skill, awarded third place at Eastman’s inaugural SongSlam art song competition.

"Recognizing the Past While Reaching Towards the Future."

$4,000* Award for 2025

A scholarship fund was established in 2022 to honor Robert Powell, FAGO (1932-2025), organist and composer of hundreds of choral and organ service pieces of published music, along with his wife, Nancy Powell, AAGO, also a consummate organist. They have served the Greenville community for decades as leaders and role models for the organists and church musicians of this community. A $4,000* scholarship will be awarded in July 2025 to an undergraduate student pursuing study in fall 2025 at an American college, conservatory, or university, leading toward a career in organ performance and church music. The winner will also be invited to play a recital in Greenville, South Carolina for the AGO, our sponsors, and the public.

The application process includes writing a short essay and submitting a recording of two standard organ pieces (Bach and Romantic). Application deadline is June 1, 2026. Check back in February 2026 for application forms.

*The Greenville AGO Chapter is also pleased to inform scholarship applicants that John Polo is also the Program Director of the Greater Bridgeport AGO Chapter M. Louise Miller – Paul E. Knox Scholarship. Both scholarships have the same criteria and timeline but submitted separately and have separate judges. This is a unique opportunity to win up to $8,000 in scholarships. That application is available at this link.

John Polo
Program Director, Powell Scholarship – Greenville AGO Chapter

Current Judges/Committee

• Dr. Ed Dunbar - Retired Professor Organ, Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC
• Rev. Dr. Jim Parham - Trinity Lutheran, Greenville, SC
• Mr. Donald Duncan - Director of Liturgy & Music, Christ Church, Episcopal, Greenville, SC
• Mr. Robert Glick - Retired Professor of Organ, Erskine University/First Presbyterian Church, Greenwood, SC
• Mr. Vance Jenkins - Director of Music & Principal Organist, Buncombe Street Methodist Church, Greenville, SC
• Dr. Brennan Szafron - Organist & Choir Master, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Tryon, NC
• Dr. Will Thomas Cleveland - Director of Music & Organist, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Greenwood, SC

Scholarship Sponsors – Click here to help us thank the many organizations and individual donors that have helped us create and sustain the Powell Scholarship & Organ Competition. This brings a sense of great pride helping support the careers of future church musicians, giving them a glimpse of our Greenville area, and honoring the legacy of Robert & Nancy Powell.

Become a Powell Scholarship Sponsor or Donor - the scholarship is designated program within the Greenville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, a 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. Individuals can use the donate link on this website. Checks can made out to the Powell Scholarship Greenville American Guild of Organists, c/o John Polo, Treasurer, 26 Appian Circle, Simpsonville, SC 29681. Thank you in advance for helping us build this scholarship.

Scholarship Kickoff Choral Festival - On June 4, 2023, over 100 singers representing 25 AGO member church choirs from the Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson AGO chapters, along with brass musicians from the Greenville Symphony, kicked off the Powell Scholarship with a Choral Festival of all Powell published composition, at Christ Church Episcopal, Greenville. This was a standing room only audience that also participated in the singing. View this wonderful concert.

For additional information on Robert and Nancy Powell, see this Member Spotlight.

Previous Scholarship winners:

2025	Mr. James Jeffery	Program will be in June, 2026
2024	Ms. Abigail Wood	[PDF program]
2023	Mr. Jacob Gruss	[PDF program]