The finales of the 24th international competition of organ “Grand Prix of Chartres” took place on Sunday, November 8th, 2014 in the cathedral Notre-Dame of Paris.
Because of restoration works of the nave of Chartres cathedral, the organ of Chartres is currently under coffering..

63 candidates, of 20 nationalities (Germany, England, Arménia, Belgium, Bielorussia, Canada (Quebec), South Korea, Croatia, the United States, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japon, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Republic Czech, Russia), appeared this year at our competition.

The jury, chaired by the french composer Gilbert AMY (France), and made up for the foreigners organists Bine BRYNDORF (Denmark), James David CHRISTIE (United States), Ben van OOSTEN (Netherlands), and french François ESPINASSE, Christophe MANTOUX, Bruno MORIN, retained :
– for the 1/4 of finales : 22 candidates
– for the 1/2 finales : 9 candidates
– for the final : four finalists, who in the order of their passage were : Dexter KENNEDY (United States, 24 years old, candidate 1), Balász SZABÓ (Hungary, 29 years old, candidate 2), Thomas OSPITAL (France, 24 years old, candidate 3), Ae Shell NAM (South Korea, 26 years old, candidate 4)

Program of the finale :
– Bach : Concerto in D minor BWV 596
– Widor : Andante sostenuto of the Gothic Symphony, opus 70
– Vierne : Finale of the Second Symphony, opus 20
– Florentz : “Seigneur des lumières” extracts from Laudes, opus 5

Results of the the competition 2014 :
The “Grand Prix of Chartres” Interprétation was awarded to Dexter KENNEDY (United States)
The “Second prize” of Interprétation was awarded ex aequo to Thomas OSPITAL (France) and to Balász SZABÓ (Hungary)
“Prize Jean-Louis FLORENTZ” for the best interpretation of “Seigneur des lumières”, offered by the SACEM : awarded to Thomas OSPITAL (France)
“Prize of the public” : awarded to Thomas OSPITAL (France)

About fifty commitments are offered to the award-winnings according to the rewards for recitals in France, Russia, Germany, Spain, Great-Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Switzerland.