Registration Info
July 19 - July 24, 2026
Michael Diorio, Program Director
Instructors: Michael Diorio and Thomas Gaynor
Focuses
- Individual organ instruction/coaching (focused on literature, improvisation and hymnody).
- Classes on organ history, building styles, organ literature and sacred music.
- Guided practice sessions.
Program Highlights
- Daytrip to Boardwalk Hall to hear a lunchtime recital, experience an organ crawl, and enjoy a boardwalk lunch to follow.
- Attend a concert at the auditorium organ in Ocean Grove, NJ
- Organ crawls to Princeton Theological Seminary and Princeton University Chapel
- Dinner and ice cream social outing in Princeton
- “Improv-off-isation” (circular improvisation, where one student begins and others creep onto the bench, “seamlessly”, to continue an unbroken piece. This continues at length by having students engage multiple chances to play and expand harmonic language and imagination).
- Group discussions on individual’s experiences which drew them to the organ, possibilities for continued study and career path interests.
- Final evening play-share recital and group dinner.
Tuition
$750 (includes room and board)
Scholarship Opportunity
A limited number of scholarships are available for the Summer Organ Institute based on talent and financial need. In order to be considered for a scholarship, students will:
- Submit a video of themselves performing a piece or excerpt of a piece that they have been working on that demonstrates their playing ability.
- Submit an essay about why the program would be beneficial to their musical future.
- Submit a letter of recommendation from a music teacher (choir director, organ/piano teacher, etc.).
- Submit a statement of how much funding they are requesting (up to $600) and an explanation of financial need. All students will be required to pay the $150 deposit to reserve their spot in the program.
Applicants should submit all materials to sap@rider.edu. Materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Students will be notified of scholarship decisions in approximately 2-3 weeks after all materials have been received.
Additionally, High school students who complete any Rider University Pre-College Summer Program prior to applying for first-year admission to Rider University can qualify for an annually renewable $2,000 Pre-College Completion Award. Some restrictions may apply.
Enrollment
Enrollment is open to participants ages 14 through 18, who are entering the 9th grade through those who have just completed their senior year. All participants must be keyboard proficient, at either organ or piano. For those whom this would be a first entry into organ study, sufficient piano experience is required.
