Born in 1982, he began his musical studies at the CNR in Versailles, then at the CNR Superior in Paris where he obtained several diplomas : final diploma in Solfege and Improvisation ; First Prize in Orchestration.

He is currently studying at the same conservatory with courses in performance, harmony, counterpoint, analysis and organology with Marie-Louise Langlais, Françoise Levechin, Alain Louvier, Jean-Pierre Vignon. He is also studying improvisation with Thierry Escaich and Frédéric Blanc.

Jean-Charles Gandrille (Robin) has won various distinctions in the following competitions : “Marcel Dupré” in Chartres (virtuosity, unanimous ; and the Prize of the City of Chartres) ; UFAM in Paris (First Prize : superior degree).

In 2000 he won the Second Prize in Improvisation and the Audience Prize at the Chartres International Organ Competition “Grand Prix de Chartres”. Other honors include obtaining an honorable mention in the General High School Competition in music, and being finalist in the Boëllmann-Gigout competition in improvisation in Strasbourg.

Jean-Charles GANDRILLE – Chartres 2007

http://www.jeancharlesgandrille.com/

Born in Freiberg in 1980, David Franke started playing the piano at the age of 5. When he was 13 years old, he decided to dedicate himself to the organ. First he studied with Dietrich Wagler, appointed organist at Freiberg cathedral. In 2000, he obtained the Second Prize in the Germon national competition « Jugend Musiziert », as well as the First Prize and the Special Award of the Jury in improvisation.

In parallel, David Franke decided to diversify his studies at the Danish Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen under the direction of Katrine Bryndorf and Sôren Christian Vestergaard. Several master-classes with Lorenzo Ghielmi, Hans-Ola Ericsson, Jean-Pierre Leguay, Pierre Pincemaille, David Briggs and others, have enriched his competences.

In 2007 David Franke has given concerts at the Bachfest in Freiberg, but also in other cathedrals such as Bremen, Brandenburg…

In 2008 he was awarded the « Grand prix d’improvisation » at the International Organ competition in Chartres.

David FRANKE – Chartres 2008

Per Kynne Frandsen is the organist and choir master at Frederiksborg Castle Chapel and caretaker of the historic Compenius Organ.

He trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, and the Royal Academy of Music, Copenhagen. He has also studied musicology at Aarhus University. He studied in France with Gaston Litaize and André Isoir, and in Germany with Harald Vogel.

Per Kynne Frandsen frequently gives concerts and seminars in Scandinavia, Germany, France, Holland, Austria, Italy, Poland and Hungary.

Stewart Wayne Foster is the Organist-in-Residence at the First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, California, where he presides over one of the world’s largest pipe organs. As part of this prestigious position, he performs weekly recitals and helps coordinate the Annual Organ Recital Series. His performances have been praised by critics worldwide. According to a review by The Dallas Morning News of one of his most recent concerts, “You can play the organ differently, but you can’t play it any better than Stewart Wayne Foster… [He played] with technical finesse second to none and an Apollonian elegance of expression”.

Stewart Wayne Foster is a native of Florida where he studied organ as an undergraduate at Stetson University. He went on to receive his Master’s degree in the harpsichord and early music from the University of North Texas and, in organ, his Diplôme de Concertiste from the École Normale de Musique in Paris, where he lived for five years. While there, he was staff continuo player with L’Orchestre de St. Louis-en-l’Ile, and accompanist for the Paris Choral Society, in addition to serving as assistant organist at the American Cathedral in Paris. His many awards include the Gold Medal and Audience Prize at the 1997 Dallas International Organ Competition ; First Prize at the William Hall Organ Competition ; First Prize at the École Normale de Musique ; and First Prize at the American Guild of Organists’ Regional Competition.

Known for his vast and eclectic repertoire, Stewart Wayne Foster has performed as soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Augusta Symphony, and the Charleston Symphony, and has accompanied numerous fine choral groups and vocalists throughout his career. He has released one CD recording of French Symphonic organ works on the Towerhill label. He recently released a new CD on the historic Huguenot Church organ in Charleston, South Carolina. He has been interviewed several times on NPR’s Pipedreams. He co-produced a new DVD documentary on the world’s largest church pipe organ at First Congregational Church in Los Angeles. Stewart Wayne Foster has provided organ music for the film “Marie Antoinette” (2006) and for the television show “Ugly Betty.” Recent performances include the Washington National Cathedral, the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and, in 2008, a solo recital for the National Convention of the American Guild of Organists.

Alois Forer was born February 19, 1909 in Upper Telfs in the Inn Valley.

He studied at conservatories and universities of Innsbruck and Vienna, organ music with Franz Schütz, composition with Franz Schmidt and Joseph Marx, and music education. For decades, Forer has successfully trained numerous students who won many prizes at international competitions.

Longtime organist in Vienna, Forer was not just a teacher, but he also had an important artistic activity as a soloist in many organ concerts and radio and CD recordings, and as soloist in concerts with major orchestras and famous conductors of his time, Furtwängler and Toscanini to Karajan.

Forers was invited as a juror for international organ competitions (Grand Prix de Chartres 1973).

With the creation of TOE (organologische Institute for Research and Documentation of the University of Music and Performing Arts) in the early seventies, Forer continued his career as an expert in restoration and organ construction.
Consultant Confederation monument Office 1977.

Awarded the Cross of Honour for Science and Art and Badge of Merit in Gold of the Republic of Austria and the medal of honor of the Federal Capital (Vienna).
The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna was awarded the gold medal. Golden Honorary Medal of the University Mozarteum

Forer Alois died on 26 October 2001.

Born November 23, 1953 – Liège, Belgium The Belgian organist and composer, Bernard Foccroulle, studied organ at the Conservatoire de Musique of Liège in the class of Hubert Schoonbroodt. He continued his studies with Xavier Darasse, Bernard Lagacé and Gustav Leonhardt.

The international career of Bernard Foccroulle was launched with his participation at the Festival of Royan in 1974. He became well-known by his recording of the complete works for organ of J.S. Bach. He feels at home in Baroque music as well as contemporary music. He serves as Professor of musical analysis to the Conservatoire of Liège, has written numerous pieces for his instrument, but also chamber works, particularly with participation of viola da gamba.

In January 1992, Bernard Foccroulle succeeded Gerard Mortier at the post of director of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, and from 2007 was succeeded by Peter de Caluwe. He was appointed as the head of the International Festival of lyric art of Aix-en-Provence on January 1, 2007, succeeding Stephan Lissner.

André Fleury was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. He received his musical training as a private student of Henri Letocart (a former student of César Franck), and later, of André Marchal and Louis Vierne. At the Paris Conservatory, he studied organ with Eugène Gigout and received a first prize in organ performance and improvisation under Gigout’s successor, Marcel Dupré, in 1926. André Fleury also studied composition with Paul Vidal.

In 1920, André Fleury became Gigout’s assistant at St. Augustin in Paris, and, later, also assistant of Charles Tournemire at Ste. Clotilde. He became titular organist at St. Augustin in 1930. In 1941, he was appointed professor of organ at the École Normale de Musique in Paris.

After World War II, André Fleury and his wife left Paris due to health reasons, and relocated to Dijon. In 1949, he succeeded Émile Poillot as titular organist at Dijon Cathedral and as professor of piano (a year later also of organ) at the Dijon Conservatory. In 1971, he accepted Jean Guillou’s invitation to become co-titular organist at St. Eustache in Paris. He also was appointed as professor of organ at the Schola Cantorum and as titular organist at Versailles Cathedral.

André Fleury died in 1995 at Le Vésinay, France, age 92, and was buried in Arcy-sur-Cure.

As a composer, André Fleury wrote numerous works for organ, many of which have not been published yet, however. He also performed extensively throughout Europe. André Fleury premiered several important organ compositions, such as the organ sonata of Darius Milhaud, Maurice Duruflé’s Scherzo op. 2, as well as La Nativité du Seigneur by Olivier Messiaen (the first integral performance of this organ cycle, after the premiere by Jean Langlais, Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur, and Jean-Jacques Grunenwald).

Among his students were Bernard Gavoty, Pierre Cochereau, and Daniel-Lesur.

http://www.andrefleury.fr/index.html

The Czech organist Dorothea Fleischmannová began her studies of not only her instrument but also of piano and composition at the Prague Conservatory.

After graduating in 1975 from the Prague Academy of Music, where site studied the organ, she went to Paris on a scolarship from the French government to attend the Schola Cantorum ; her professors were Jean Langlais and Gaston Litaize. In 1976 she received the Diploma “supérieur” in 1977 the one for “virtuosité” as well as several other awards.

After her return to Prague, she entered the Czech concert scene ; in 1981 she recorded a recital for the Panton label (LP), and further CD recordings followed.

Since 1979 she has been a regular guest of international festivals, including Avignon (1979, 1991, 1994, 1996), Barcelone (1981),  Vienne (1981) ; she has given concerts in the cathedrals of Paris (Notre-Dame 1979, 1984), Chartres, Montpellier, Nîmes, Aix en Provence, Viviers, Nantes and elsewhere. She has undertaken many tours in ltaly, Germany, Spain, Denmark and other countries. She has performed many times in Czech churches and concert halls. The core of her repertoire is made up of works by Czech and Germon baroque composers, including a wide selection from the works by J. S. Bach, as well as from the music by French and European romantics, including Mendelssohn and Brahms. She also dedicates herself to contemporary French music and has played works by Olivier Messiaen, whose lectures she attended whilst in Paris. Dorothea Fleischmannová is also at the service of Czech contemporary music. She is professor of organ improvisation at the J. Deyl Conservatory and Music School of Prague, and she also cooperates with a number of soloists.

Michel Henry FISCHER was born in Vallauris (Alpes-Maritimes) in 1948.

Student for the organ René Saorgin Conservatory of Nice, it then enters classes Rolande Falcinelli, Jean-Claude Raynaud, Michel Merlet, Jacques Castérède, Marius Constant and Ivo Malec at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won first prizes Organ (1976), counterpoint, fugue, analysis and composition (1983).

Associate music education and a doctorate in musicology (1991), he is a lecturer at the University Paris IV – Sorbonne since 1993. Winner of the Menuhin Foundation in 1982, the same year he received the prize René Dumesnil, then the price Stéphane Clergue – Gabriel Marie SACEM (1984), and finally the price of musical composition Paul-Louis Weiller awarded by the Academy of Fine Arts (1994).

Holder organ of Notre-Dame-de-la-Gare – Paris (1979).

Paris-ND de la Gare ( Cavaillé-Coll de 1864 )

North from, Laurent Fievet studied organ under the direction of Yves Devernay at the Conservatory of Roubaix where he won first prize.

It then goes to the region of Angers National Conservatory where he studied under Jean-Louis Gil and sees it also won the first prize.

In 1987 he was admitted to the Conservatoire National de Region of Rueil-Malmaison and works with Marie-Claire Alain and Susan Landale. The excellence and virtuosity attributed to him unanimously with honors.

Finalist in international competitions in Toulouse (1983) and Chartres (1988), winner of the first international competition of Wasquehal-St Omer (1993), Laurent Fievet also participates in numerous concerts and festivals, both in France and the abroad.

It is since 1988 organist of the Notre Dame in Nice and teaches organ and piano at the Conservatory of Grasse.