Equal parts performer, composer, and educator, Matt Curlee has served on the faculty of the department of music theory at the Eastman School of Music since 2007.   As both an advocate for, and avid practitioner of improvisational music, Curlee has a particular interest in ear-brain interactions and the intuitive processes that unify composition, improvisation, and performance.  This area of research has fed directly into his work at Eastman, where he has designed an advanced skills curriculum for the undergraduate honors program. Curlee has since extended and adapted the method to serve other populations of students – core undergraduates and those pursuing graduate conducting degrees.

As a composer, Curlee’s recent work has focused on the interplay between modern theoretical and experimental physics and the arts.  Notable among these projects, Histories is a continuing set of collaborations between composer Matt Curlee and physicist Regina Demina, exploring the fundamental narratives, at various scales, that form the fabric of reality.   Recent commissions include new music for the Eastman Percussion Ensemble’s 2016-17 season, a work premiered and recorded by percussionist Michael Burritt with The United States Air Force Band in 2018, music for the Strong National Museum of Play, a piece for the cutting-edge RPS Collective, a saxophone, piano, percussion trio, and a set of arrangements celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life.

In 1996, at the age of 19, Curlee was one of the youngest organists ever to win the prestigious Grand Prix de Chartres.  After several years of touring in the US and Europe, appearances with orchestras, inaugural performances on new instruments, and two releases as a solo artist, he began to gravitate towards artistic collaborations. In 2002, with four other Eastman alums, he founded Neos, a contemporary jazz chamber ensemble built around the pipe organ.  Neos toured and recorded for several years, with Curlee serving as its artistic director and principal composer, and ran a commissioning program that generated new music from composers around the world. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Matt has lived in Rochester, New York since 1994, and holds two degrees and a performer’s certificate from Eastman.

Catharine Crozier was born in Hobart, Oklahoma on Jan. 18, 1914. As a child she studied violin, piano, and organ, making her first public appearance on the piano at age six. She earned a BM from Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Harold Gleason, whom she later married. In 1939 she joined the organ faculty and in 1953 was named chair of the department. Two years later she joined the faculty of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where she remained through 1969, serving also as organist of the Knowles Memorial Chapel.

Her concert career commenced in 1942, following her debut at the Washington D.C. National Cathedral. Thereafter she concertized throughout North America and Europe. According to her management company, Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc., Ms. Crozier was one of the three organists asked to play the inaugural organ recital at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in 1962, and was engaged for a solo recital there in 1964. In 1976 she inaugurated the Kuhn organ in Alice Tully Hall.

The New York City chapter of The American Guild of Organists named her International Performer of the Year in 1979; she held honorary doctorate degrees from Smith College, Baldwin-Wallace College, the University of Southern Colorado, and Illinois College. The Eastman School awarded her an honorary Doctor of Musical Arts in 2000.

In addition to teaching and performing, Ms. Crozier co-edited several editions of the Method of Organ Playing, written by her husband, first published in 1937 and subsequently bestowed “essential tool” status for students of the instrument. Following the death her husband, Ms. Crozier edited the seventh and the eighth editions, in 1987 and 1995.

In 1993 Ms. Crozier moved to Portland, Oregon, where she was Artist-in-Residence at Trinity Cathedral until early 2003. As Artist-in-Residence, she frequently played organ voluntaries at services, gave solo recitals and continued to teach. Her recent performances were broadcast over Oregon Public Radio and in 2001 she was a featured artist on Oregon Public Television’s Oregon Art Beat. Known for her definitive playing of organ works of Ned Rorem and Leo Sowerby, two of the five Delos International CDs she made during the last twenty years of her life included the major organ works of these two composers.

On Dr. Crozier’s 75th and 80th birthdays, she performed solo recitals from memory at The Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA ; her 85th birthday recital was played at The First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. Recently, the American Guild of Organists began to compile a video archive series of great organists; Catharine Crozier was the subject of The Master Series, Vol. I, which shows her performing and teaching in her 86th year.

On Friday, September 19, 2003 at the age of 89, Catharine Crozier died of complications from pneumonia following a severe stroke.

Jean-Baptiste COURTOIS studied the organ with Jean Langlais and was then admitted at Paris Conservatoire where he was awarded four First Prizes.

At 14 he used to play the Cavaillé-Coll organ at St.Ignace Church in Paris; in 1989 he was appointed tenured organist at St.Gervais, playing the Couperin family historical organ, where he served during thirty years.As a concertist, he has performed in France and other European countries, as well as un the USA and in Russia.

He has been teaching at Lille Conservatory and Paris-Sorbonne University, then became manager of the Conservatory in Antony. In 1995 he joined the Paris National Conservatory CNSMDP executive team before being appointed here in 2000, as professor in counterpoint.

Jean Costa was a French organist born in Bastia June 15, 1924. Son and grandson son of organists attached to the organ loft of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Bastia, Jean Costa received his first musical training at his family. He continued his studies in 1943 in Lyon to Edouard Comet (organist primatiale Saint John and pioneer in the recording of organ music) where he became organist – Tour of Maîtrise.

In 1945, Jean Costa went to Paris to follow the courses of Maurice Duruflé and Marcel Dupré. It accesses the organ class of the latter at the Paris Conservatory to come out in 1949 crowned by a First Prize of Organ and Improvisation conjunction Renet Françoise Marie Madeleine Chevalier and Jean Bonfils. Having been an alternate for a while his master Marcel Dupré to great organ of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, Jean Costa was appointed in 1952 organist of the great Cavaillé-Coll organ in the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris a position he held until 1997.

Teacher sought, Jean Costa was professor of organ at the Nantes Conservatory from 1953 to 1970 and was entrusted in 1971 the organ class of the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud in Aix-en-Provence where many students come out like Jean Lecaudey Pierre Gilles Harle or Chantal de Zeeuw who succeeded him to the post in 1992. Soloist internationally renowned guest of the major organ festivals, Jean Costa has given over a thousand recitals in France, in all countries Europe, the USSR and America, where he discusses the entire repertoire and improvisation, a discipline in which he excels.

Jean Costa performed a hundred recordings for television and French and foreign radio stations. At the head of a large discography we can cite his recordings of the great works of Johann Sebastian Bach, German old masters (Buxtehude, Bruhns, Muffat, Pachelbel, etc.) on historical instruments (Weingarten, Ottobeuren, Lüneburg,). Jean Costa also recorded the integrals of the Twelve pieces of César Franck, works by Johannes Brahms and those of Franz Liszt; This last issue in 1974 earning him the Grand Prix of the French Academy Drive and Prize of the Academy Franz Liszt in Budapest. Jean Costa took part in his last participation in the drive, the collective record “The organs of Paris” where he played two excerpts from the famous Gothic Suite Léon Boëllmann who was his predecessor in the gallery of St. Vincent de Paul from 1887 to 1897.

Died June 1, 2013 in Marseille in its 90th year.

Marco CORTINOVIS was bom in 1983. He starts his musical training at the age of ten, playing the clarinet. Then he continues his studies at the National Conservatory “G. B. Martini” in Bologna, where he discovers the organ with his teacher Andrea MACINANTI. A. Macinanti will also guide Marco during his apprenticeship of Italian music composed for the organ, since its origins up to the 20th century, as well as in the performance of a repertoire which is often underestimated.

At Bologna Conservatory, Marco takes part in various classes : piano, harmony, music analysis, composition, orchestration, history of music and history of dramaturgic arts. He obtains several distinctions.

He is awarded the First Organ Prize at the National Conservatory “G. Frescobaldi” in Ferrara, for the first performance of a piece composed by Roberto Di CECCO. As a soloist , but also as an accompanist, he has taken part in several festivals in France and in Italy, amongst others the famous festival Organi Antichi in Bologna (Italy). He is giving concerts with the bassoonist Ugo GELMI, performing a repertoire of ancient music and contemporary works.

With the two soprano singers Hélène Richer and Yoko Takeuchi he is constituting the ensemble Voix Célestes, which was initially a research project created by the Royaumont Foundation, under the direction of Joël-Marie Faucquet, project dedicated to make the public discover French sacred music of the 19th century.

His interest in musicology pushed him to publish articles with the Bergamo Edizioni Musicali Carrares (Italy).

Marco CORTINOVIS – Chartres 2009

Born: 1967 – Milan, Italy

The Italian organist, Alessio Corti, graduated in piano, organ and harpsichord under the guidance of Lucia Romanini, Enzo Corti and Laura Alvini. He continued his studies in organ and improvisation in the class of Lionel Rogg at the Conservatorio Superiore di Ginevra (Superior Conservatory of Geneva), getting a “Premier Prix de Virtuosité avec distinction” and a “Prix Spécial Otto Barblan”. Prizes in several national and international competitions, were followed in 1993 by winning the Absolute First Prize at the prestigious Concorso Internazionale CIEM di Ginevra (International ICES Geneva).

Since 1983 Alessio Corti is titular at the Chiesa di Santa Maria Segreta in Milan, and since 1991 he is also titular organist at the Chiesa Cristiana Protestante in the same city, where he has performed many concert cycles, including the complete organ works of J.S. Bach and Dietrich Buxtehude. As a versatile interpreter of a vast repertoire, he is regularly invited to play at the most important international festivals, even playing the harpsichord, and is called to serve on juries of competitions.

Alessio Corti is holding the chair of composition and organ at the Conservatories of Udine and Verona, in 2001 he was appointed Professor of organ and improvisation and, as successor to Lionel Rogg, at the Conservatorio Superiore (Musikhochschule) in Geneva, where he teaches high organ perfection.

For the label Concert Alessio Corti recorded the complete organ works of J.S. Bach on 17 CD’s, greeted with unanimous Italian and foreign critical praise. In addition, he has made numerous CD’s devoted to Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn, Christmas music and made recordings on various historic organs in Italy and abroad. He recently performed in concert and released two CD’s for the inauguration of the new “Oberlinger” organ of the dell’Aula Magna dell’Università Cattolica in Milan.

Born in 1970 in Versailles, Denis Comtet studied organ with Gaston Litaize at the St. Maur Conservatory. Afterwards, he was admitted at the CNSM in Paris, where he was awarded the Frst Prize in organ (Michel Chapuis) in 1989, and in 1993, unanimously the First Prize in piano accompaniment (Jean Körner). Then, he completed his training with the Versailles choir ‘Maîtrise des Petits Chanteurs’.

His organ repertory is based on the French symphonic period and its continuation in the 20th century. Many festival organisers in France and abroad welcome him : all over Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan and the Near East. His latent recording is dedicated to André Fleury’s organ works. He uses part of his musical working time on the presentation of contemporary music, performing many new compositions with different ensembles such as ‘Ensemble Intercontemporain’, Ensemble Envartung’ and the Frankfort Ensemble ‘Modern’.

In 1999, he became assistant at the CNSM in Paris. and numerous lyric works are being produced with his cooperation. Influenced by Laurence Equilbey, he helps to develop the Ensemble Accentua- Axe 21. The most important French orchestras welcome Denis Comtet as an instrumentalist for performing symphonie works : Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, Orchestre National de France.

In Rome. he trained with the conductor Bruno Aprea. Since 1999, he assists the orchestra conductor Oswald Sallaberger at the Theatre of Arts in Rouen, he is also the chief assistant of the Aix en Provence Festival and of the Beethoven Academy Orchestra in Anvers.

Today, Denis Comtet is the titular organist of St. François-Xavier in Paris and member of the Organ Commission of the Archbishop of Paris.

He also teaches accompaniment at the conservatory of Paris (17)

http://prod-s.com/artistes/332-denis-comtet

Born on October 2, 1931 in Paris, Pierre Cogen received his first musical training in a children’s choir conducted by Jehan Revert, the Schola of the Lower Seminary of Paris (1944-1951). He was its organist from the age of 14. In 1950 he became a pupil of Jean Langlais. Once his high school education was over, he went on to study philosophy in college, pursuing his musical training as well, both privately with Jean Langlais (organ) and Jean Lemaire (harmony), at the Ecole Cesar Franck (organ class of Edouard Souberbielle), in the Preparatory Curriculum for Music and Choral Singing Teachers (Eliane Chevalier, Raymond Weber), as well as at the Schola Cantorum (organ class of Jean Langlais, Counterpoint and Fugue with Yvonne Desportes). He also received supplementary instruction from André Fleury and Pierre Cochereau.

His musical activities led him into the areas of choral conducting, teaching, organ and composition. As a founding director of a children’s choir, certified teacher of school music and choral singing, teacher of organ and improvisation, harmony and counterpoint, he can claim many pupils, not only at established institutions but also in summer academies, master classes and private lessons.

A liturgical organist from his youth onward, he was active in several Parisian parishes until being appointed in 1976 as organist of the main organ at Ste-Clotilde (co-titulaire with Jean Langlais from 1976 to 1987; titulaire from 1988 to 1994). His retirement in 1994 led him to leave all the positions he had held up until then.

He continues to pursue a career as a recitalist, bringing him to numerous countries. Often called upon to perform works by his predecessors at Ste-Clotilde (Franck, Tournemire, Langlais, whose works he has sometimes premiered), he has also devoted several recordings to them. As a composer he has written above all for the organ: Offrande, Deux Chorals, Nocturne sur un theme populaire breton, Deux Hosannas, L’Épiphanie du Seigneur, L’Exaltation de la Croix, Fantaisie sur une Antienne, Lucernaire etc.

Pierre Cochereau was born on July 9, 1924 in Saint-Mandé, near Paris. In 1929, after a few months of violin instruction, he began to take piano lessons with Marius-François Gaillard. Marguerite Long became his piano teacher in 1933, and three years later, Paul Pannesay. In 1938, Cochereau was introduced to the pipe organ by Marie-Louise Girod, a student of Marcel Dupré. He continued his organ studies with André Fleury and Paul Delafosse, whom Cochereau succeeded as titular organist at St. Roch in Paris in 1942.

After one year of law studies, Cochereau decided to dedicate himself to a musical career, and entered the Conservatory of Paris in 1943. He left the Conservatory in 1949 with first prizes in harmony (class of Maurice Duruflé), music history, fugue and counterpoint (class of Noël Gallon), composition (class of Tony Aubin), and organ (class of Marcel Dupré). In September 1948, Cochereau made his first recital tour to Hungary. One year later, he married Nicole Lacroix, a pianist and composer, with whom he had two children: Jean-Marc (1949–2011), conductor and late director of the Tours Conservatory, and Marie-Pierre, a professional harpist.

In 1949, at age 26, Pierre Cochereau was appointed director of the Le Mans Conservatory, where he stayed until 1956. In 1955, he succeeded Léonce de Saint-Martin (1886–1954) as titular organist at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

In 1956, his recording of Marcel Dupré’s Symphonie-Passion opus 23 was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque. The same year, Cochereau made his first of 25 recital tours to the United States.

In 1961, Cochereau became director of the Nice Conservatory, which he left in 1979, accepting the directorship of the Lyon Conservatory.

Pierre Cochereau died during the night of March 5, 1984, in Lyon, suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried at the Cimetière Belleville in Paris.

Pierre Cochereau had a worldwide reputation as a concert organist and especially as a brilliant improviser. In his improvisations, Cochereau had created a musical language that was eminently personal, recognizable as of the opening notes. Stylistic influences regarding counterpoint, formal structure, and harmonic language, included composers such as Marcel Dupré, Maurice Duruflé, Noël Gallon, Olivier Messiaen, and Florent Schmitt.

André Fleury, who was one of Cochereau’s first organ teachers, reported, “He already showed great gifts, perhaps a bit overly attracted, in the study of improvisation, by the search for the pretty harmony, rather than the strict exercise of contrapuntal discipline.” Many years later, Fleury said, “As one day we were en tête à tête, I asked him if he worked on improvisation. ‘Never,’ he replied. ‘What I do at Notre-Dame and in concert serves as practice.’ Such gifts, when one thinks of his harmonic language, so subtly refined, and what force of concentration to give a form to all those riches!” In regard to Cochereau’s formidable improvisational skills, Marcel Dupré said about his former student, “Pierre Cochereau is a phenomenon without equal in the history of the contemporary organ.”

As a composer, Cochereau left several organ works, chamber music, and choir compositions. Many of Cochereau’s organ improvisations were transcribed and published.

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/Pierre-COCHEREAU,580

After brilliant general studies, François CLÉMENT, born in 1957, obtained in 1979 an engineer’s diploma, then resolutely chose a career in music.

He studied the organ with illustrious masters such as Michel CHAPUIS, André ISOIR, Gaston LITAIZE and Louis THIRY and won several prizes in organ among which were a Gold Medal, a unanimous First Prize and the Concert Diploma (with merit).

Professor of organ at the National School of Music in the Haute-Loire, organist of the Cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay, François CLÉMENT has made two organ recordings and participated in the inventory of organs in Auvergne.

He has performed many recitals especially in Paris (Notre-Dame, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Festival Estival).

http://francois-clement-organiste.e-monsite.com/