American Guild of Organists
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| Formation | January 1, 1896 |
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| Type | Professional association |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
| Headquarters | New York, New York |
| Location |
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Membership
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25,000 |
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Official language
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English |
| Michael Bedford, AAGO, ChM, DMA | |
| Eileen Hunt, AAGO, DMA | |
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Treasurer/Councillor for Finance
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Barbara Adler, SPC, DMA |
| Mission | To foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ. |
| Website | www |
The American Guild of Organists, or AGO, is a national organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the U.S., headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City. Founded as both an educational and service organization, it was chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1896, with the authority to grant titles of associate or fellow to members who passed required examinations.Henry Houseley was a Founder of the American Guild of Organists, and Clifford Demarest played an important role in its first two decades. The Guild seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music.
Membership is not limited to professional organists, but is open to anybody with an interest in the organ and organ music. There are approximately 25,000 AGO members in all categories, of whom 18,409 are voting members as of 2009. The AGO's current president is Michael Bedford, elected in 2016.
The AGO is geographically divided into nine regions and 330 chapters nationwide. In recent years, the AGO has added international chapters in Bermuda, Australia, Korea, and Singapore. The European chapter is the oldest international chapter, with many members in France and Germany, as well as some in other countries.
The leadership of the AGO consists of a National Council, several Regions and various local chapters within each Region. The national headquarters are located at 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260, in New York, New York, a building commonly known as the The Interchurch Center.
The National Council is the main governing body of the American Guild of Organists. The four National Officers, three National Councillors with portfolio and nine Regional Councillors are members of the National Council. The Executive Director is a non-voting member of the National Council.
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