Organ Scholarship
Organ Scholarship Project 2026 – 2027
St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church, Rome, wishes to appoint an organ scholar for the academic year beginning in September 2026. This scholarship offers an excellent opportunity for a gap year student or postgraduate organist to join a vibrant expat community in Rome while engaging in the musical life of the church and the wider city. Applicants should be at least ABRSM Grade 8 standard, with experience accompanying Anglican repertoire and working with choirs.
Established in 2014, the scholarship has welcomed talented young musicians from the U.K. and U.S.A., including James Grimwood (the first scholar), Carter Leer, Julia Alsop, Eric Foster, Hugo Williams, Frederick Frostwick, and more recently Kenneth Miller, Efisio Aresu, Francesco Cacioni, and Charlotte Baker. The program was paused for nearly three years due to the pandemic and resumed in September 2022.
The Church
St. Paul’s, built in 1880 and designed by English architect George Edmund Street, was the first Protestant church constructed in Rome after the unification of Italy (1870). Located on Via Nazionale (Castro Pretorio), it belongs to the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. The Gothic Revival building houses Rome’s largest carillon (23 bells) and features mosaics by Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones, designated a National Monument, as well as works by American artist George Breck.
In the crypt is the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC), founded in 1982, offering breakfast, clothing and hygiene distribution, job training, language and computer classes, and recreational and therapeutic activities. Adjacent to the church, the former rectory now houses church offices and the Parish Room/Song School (ground floor), the “Collegio” with the organ scholar’s room (first floor), a library and conference room (second floor), and the Rector’s apartment above.
Music and Choirs
St. Paul’s hosts a wide-ranging program of services and concerts and is a sought-after venue for classical music in Rome. External concerts take place Monday through Saturday, while the church runs its own Sunday evening series. Worship includes two Sung Eucharists each Sunday (English and Spanish), along with additional special services throughout the year.
The English-speaking choir, for the Sung Eucharist and special services, consists of paid professionals and auditioned amateurs, with repertoire ranging from Renaissance polyphony (e.g. Byrd) to Kodály and Negro Spirituals. A second Italian-speaking volunteer choir rehearses at St. Paul’s; the organ scholar accompanies and occasionally directs this ensemble for concerts and services.
The church maintains close ties with All Saints’ (Church of England chaplaincy) and the New Chamber Singers, an auditioned choir directed by St. Paul’s organist, Stefano Vasselli, in whose activities the organ scholar typically participates. Additional connections include St. Paul’s youth orchestra, the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music, and a wide network of musicians and conductors.
I thank very much Frederick Frostwick for this great introduction! So nice to have it done, with enthusiasm, by one of our Scholars.
What do we expect from the new Scholar?
- Assist the Director of Music in all his duties and notably: participate in all aspects of the music program. Prepare organ voluntaries / sing / accompany or occasionally conduct the church choirs for their liturgies and concerts. Act as substitute for the Director of Music when he is absent.
- Help the Director of Music in planning all music events, in selecting the appropriate hymns, anthems, etc. for all services as well as for concerts.
- Help the Director of Music and the choristers in keeping the music archive organized and tidy.
- Act as security person for the church’s concert series.
- Help the Director of Music and the staff in keeping the website updated and in communicating all relevant events both within congregation and the wider community through the social media.
What do we offer him/her?
- A friendly environment with free access to organ and piano (and a spinet) for his/her own practice of repertoire.
- Regular meetings with the Director of Music taking the opportunities of organ / composition / choral conducting lessons or practice, as well as practical advice in general music matters.
- Multiple occasions of working with choirs of various level and of wide repertoire.
- Multiple occasions of taking parts in concerts also outside the normal routine of the church.
- A room in the “Collegio” with shared bathroom and kitchen in exchange for all his/her duties.
We may say that St. Paul’s is really a unique place, where many different spiritual and cultural paths cross and a wide variety of people meet together. Our music program reflects this openness, and we proudly organize and host hundreds of concerts and cultural events.
The organ scholar is not a paid position, but thanks our vibrant music life, there are several opportunities for making some income in order to ease the day-to-day expenses. We’ll be happy to give more details to those who are seriously interested.
The organ scholar’s schedule is very full on Sundays and Mondays, but less busy on the other days. However, a lot of preparation is needed for all the events, therefore a good monthly planning is essential to make all things work. You may submit your application directly to music@stpaulsrome.it
Please, include, together with your bio, a short description of your own goals and interests for this project, a clip or a link to 2 different works for organ played live. Possibly a Bach piece (a short prelude and fugue, a Trio Sonata movement, or a chorale) and another one of your choice of a different character (max 5’).
The age limit for the position is 27, and the normal duration of the scholarship is 9 months (September through June). Of course, you will have the possibility of travelling during your stay, but we will appreciate if you will not be absent during the high seasons of Christmas and Holy Week – Easter.
The deadline for the applications is the end of April. If you have further questions do not hesitate to contact me directly via email or even with phone call / video meeting.
Stefano Vasselli
Organist and Director of Music
As an organ scholar here, one of the most beneficial things you can gain here is the support from the church community, especially the choirs. They will always make you feel welcome and it personally became very quick for me to be able to integrate myself within this community. Being a gap year student, it is very fair to say that doing an organ scholarship abroad is a big step and on first coming here from England, there were a few cultural shocks that I had to adjust to but that being said, it is quite enjoyable to learn them. In terms of the personal musical skills one develops, this scholarship helps you to understand the different ways in which services are done and how to organise your own timings and schedule which helped me greatly with my organisational skills which were less sufficient beforehand.
Nevertheless, it is definitely fair to say that the people here will probably be the most important part of the experience aside from the improvements in playing that you will gain.