For Immediate Release

THE 2011 ROLAND ATELIER ORGAN FESTIVAL

Winners Crowned at National Finals Event in Las Vegas

Los Angeles, CA, May 19, 2011 — Roland U.S. recently held the third annual Atelier® Organ Festival, a collaborative effort with its nationwide network of Atelier dealers to celebrate the hobby of organ playing. The festival concluded with a final showcase of the country’s best organ talent at the National Finals on May 7, 2011, at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Beginning in February 2011, regional Atelier Organ Festival events were held at select Roland organ dealers across the country. These local community events included workshops, appearances by Roland artists, and performance competitions for organists of all ages and experience levels.

Thirty-eight winners of local competitions flew to Las Vegas to compete at the daylong National Finals gathering. They participated in one of five different divisions: Professional, Advanced Hobbyist, Hobbyist, Youth 1, and Youth 2. The organists all performed on Roland’s flagship AT-900 Atelier Organ before an enthusiastic live audience.

A panel of expert judges was assembled for the day, including organist extraordinaire Chris Anderson, concert artist Rosemary Bailey, and respected organist/clinician Tom Folenta. The judges graded the competitors’ performances in categories of technique, interpretation, and orchestration.

Roland congratulates the day’s big winners:

Professional Division: Gregg Isett from Newcastle, California

Advanced Hobbyist Division: Yuko Otaki from Sunnyvale, California

Hobbyist Division: Paul Bennett from The Villages, Florida

Youth 1 Division: James Shawcross from Penn Valley, California

Youth 2 Division: Camilla Evangelista from Orange, California

Adult winners each received a $500.00 cash prize, while youth winners received a $500.00 music scholarship. In addition, all the winners received a Roland R-05 WAVE/MP3 Recorder.

The judges’ voting in two of the divisions was extremely close. As a result, they cited two performers with special recognition: Cathleen Smith from The Villages, Florida, received a Distinguished Performance Award in the Advanced Hobbyist division, while Cameron Heran from Vero Beach, Florida, received a Roland Rising Star award in the Youth 1 division.

Before the winners were announced, Roland Product Specialists Rick DePiro and Trevor Root treated the assembled crowd with a lively musical performance. Rick played Roland’s new ATELIER Combo AT-350C, while Trevor accompanied him on the TD-20SX V-Pro® V-Drums®.

The festival was an extremely enjoyable experience for all who participated, once again bringing together the nation’s organ enthusiasts to share their passion for the instrument they love. When asked to give advice to those considering being involved in next year’s festival, Professional division winner Gregg Isett enthusiastically replied, “Go for it. It’s the most exhilarating, wonderful experience you’ll ever have.”

To view event photos, watch interviews with the winners, and get info about next year’s Roland Atelier Organ Festival, visit http://www.RolandAtelier.com.

---------

About Roland Corporation
Roland Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, including keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, audio processors, and multimedia products. With nearly 40 years of musical instrument development, Roland sets the standard in music technology for the world to follow. For more information, visit http://www.RolandUS.com.