1961: January 9 – born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

1979-82: studies at Royal Academy of Music with Douglas Hawkridge, Christopher Bowers-Broadbent, Virginia Black, Paul Steinitz and Arthur Wills.

1982-84: organ studies with David Sanger.

1983: 1st Prize St. Albans International Organ Festival.

1987: July 25, plays first performance of Sorabji’s 2 hour Organ Symphony 1 (1923/4) in London. This is really where his reputation as a player of “impossible” music stems from.

1988-2001: recording contract with Nimbus Records – about 50 CDs including complete J S Bach.

1990: lots of other 1st prizes – Odense, Dublin, Paisley, Calgary.

1999-2008: Senior Lecturer in Organ at the RNCM.

2005-present: organist to the University of Glasgow.

Concerts, broadcasts, lectures, teaching and masterclasses throughout Europe and in North America, Australia and Japan.

Other premieres (World, European or UK) include: Kaikhosru Sorabji (First Organ Symphony and the first movement of the Second Organ Symphony), Alistair Hinton (Pansophiæ for John Ogdon), Brian Ferneyhough (Sieben Sterne), Giles Swayne (Organ Concerto: Chinese Whispers) Michael Finnissy (Second Organ Symphony), Anthony Gilbert (Halifenu Vine Dance), Iain Matheson (Wondrous Machine, Through Thick and Thin, A Beginning, a Middle and an End and Background Music), Anthony Payne (Reflections in the Sea of Glass), Charles Wuorinen (Natural Fantasy), Milton Babbitt (Manifold Music), Chris Dench (compostela/finisterre) and Iannis Xenakis (Gmeeoorh).

He has been Organist to the University of Glasgow since September 2005. He accompanies the very excellent Chapel Choir and is Artistic Director of the annual International Organ Festival held in the Memorial Chapel.

The Sorabji Organ Works Project, a five year plan supported by The Glasgow University Trust, aims to have a complete critical edition of all three of the Sorabji organ symphonies in print by June 2013 as well as live performances of all three works. CD recordings of the complete Sorabji organ works will be released on Altarus Records, who will also produce a DVD documenting the entire project. Sorabji’s massive and largely unplayed Second Organ Symphony (1929-32, about 6½ hours) is scheduled for performance in June 2009. The Third Organ Symphony (1949-54, also about 6½ hours, also unplayed), reputedly the most complex and technically demanding organ work ever composed, is currently undergoing conversion from the manuscript into a workable performing score and is scheduled to be surfacing in public performance in early summer 2013.

Kevin teaches in Glasgow for the St. Giles International Organ School.

http://www.kevinbowyer.net/facts.html

Thanks to Michel Garnier building the organ in Lens (Pas-de-Calais), Nicolas Bucher discovered his passion for the organ.

He began his studies at the Centre Diocésain de Musique Sacrée in Arras, then entered the Conservatoire Régional in Lille where he studied during four years, first with Jean Boyer, later with Aude Heurtematte. He continued his studies at the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels (Belgium) where he won the First Prize in Organ in 1997 (close directed by Jean Ferrard) as well as prizes in Composition and History of Music. Joining Jean Boyer in Lyon (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique), he obtained in June 2000 the National Diploma of Music Studies (DNESM).

In October 1998, he was one of the finalists in the competition ‘Concours International Xavier Darasse’ in Toulouse, its 7th edition being dedicated to Spanish Baroque music. In September 2000, he was awarded the Second Prize at the International Musashino competition in Tokyo (Japon).

After Lens and Lyon, Nicolas Bucher is presently the titular organist of St. Paul’s in Marcq en Baroeul (North). He is teaching organ music at the local music school in Lens and at the Centre Diocésain de Musique Sacrée in Arras.

Professor of music education at St. Paul’s School and organist at the Cathedral of Angoulême (France).

Harold Britton was born in Bristol and studied music/organ at the Cathedral under Clifford Harker, later taking tuition from Dr Harold Darke. In 1966 he was invited by Fernando Germani to attend his organ class at Accademia Musicale Chigiano in Siena. The following year Harold studied the works of Marcel Dupré together with the composer in Paris.

Harold held the post of Civic Organist of Walsall for many years. He has given recitals in most of the county’s principal cathedrals and concert halls. These include St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, Hereford Cathedral, the Royal Albert Hall, Colston Hall Bristol, Broadcasting House and St George’s Chapel, Windsor. In addition he has participated in the Ely Cathedral Organ Festival and given an extensive series of recitals at Birmingham Town Hall.

His numerous performances at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris have been acclaimed by audiences, organists and composers alike; it was as a result of one of these recitals that he was invited to serve on the jury of the Chartres International Organ Competition (1972). International recital tours have taken him to France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, the former Yugoslavia as well as Australia and the USA.

He offers a repertoire that is exceptionally large and comprehensive, taking in such diverse elements as jazz, transcriptions, improvisations and modern American music as well as the standard repertoire.

Roman Cantieni was born in Chur (Switzerland).

Diploma education for organ, voice and piano school in Zurich.

Studies in the organ class of Anton Heiller in Vienna.
Diploma concert of the Basel Music Academy in the class of Eduard Müller.
Masterclasses for organ and harpsichord with A. Heiller, MC Alain, FL Tagliavini, G. Leonhardt, H. Vogel and others.

Winner of the International Competition of Bologna.

Music teacher in Chur / CH.
Concerts, radio and television programs and recordings to the organ on various historical keyboard instruments in Switzerland.
Expert in new construction and organ restorations.
Participation in the complete organ works of Bach in 1985.

Jeffrey’s responsibilities at Bryn Mawr Church include directing the Senior Choir and Bryn Mawr Chamber Singers; oversight of the Vespers Series; oversight of all children and youth choirs; the West Philadelphia Children’s Choir, and the church’s arts outreach and visual arts ministries. He is the church’s principal organist.

In May 2005, he was appointed Lecturer in Organ Improvisation at Yale University. In 1994 he was first place prize winner in the American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Improvisation. Since that time, his recital tours have taken him throughout America, with engagements in San Diego, Seattle, Birmingham, Waco, Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York City, Iowa City, Des Moines, Worcester, and throughout the eastern seaboard. In May 2006, heperformed with the Pittsburgh Symphony in one of the inaugural concerts of the new Dobson Organ in Kimmel Center. In July 2006, he was the director of the Adult and Chamber Choirs at the Presbyterian Association of Musician’s Westminster Conference. In 2008, he took a 6-month sabbatical during which he studied improvisation with Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin and Tomas A. Nowak. He also authored “Breaking Free”, an organ improvisation textbook (for more information, e-mail jeffrey398@aol.com). He will teach from “Breaking Free” at Westminster Choir College, June 22-26, 2009.

He has presented master classes at the Curtis Institute of Music, University of Iowa, Baylor University, the Eastman School of Music, Westminster Choir College, and for numerous chapters of The American Guild of Organists. He has also served as special music advisor to The Philadelphia Orchestra, working with Maestros Bobby McFerrin and Thomas Wilkins.

In June 1999, Jeffrey Brillhart was appointed the fourth Music Director of Singing City, having served as Associate Director in the 1998-99 season, when he worked closely with then Music Director Joseph Flummerfelt. As Music Director, Mr. Brillhart provides artistic leadership for a rich program of concerts, educational instruction in local schools, and outreach to diverse communities. He directs the choir and oversees all aspects of Singing City’s musical initiatives. During his tenure with Singing City the choir has traveled to Cuba, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, presented more than one hundred-fifty concerts, performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and worked with such internationally renowned artists as Helmuth Rilling, Dave Brubeck, Nick Page, Moses Hogan, Andre Thomas, Anton Armstrong, and Weston Noble, and Rossen Milanov.

In 1993, he took a five month study leave in Paris, France where he studied organ improvisation, the organ symphonies of Louis Vierne, and the music of Maurice Duruflé. His coaches included Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefebvre, Marie Madeleine Duruflé and Wolfgang Seifan. While in France he was one of the first Americans to play a recital on the newly restored organ at Notre-Dame Cathedral, performing works of Louis Vierne and Max Reger. A second sabbatical in 2008 included improvisation studies with Tomasz Nowak, Messiaen studies with Olivier Latry, and work on an improvisation textbook. Titled “Breaking Free,” the book approaches organ improvisation in a 20th century French context.

Mr. Brillhart’s formal training was at Drake University, where he received his Bachelor of Church Music degree, and at the Eastman School of Music, where he received a Master of Performance and Literature degree. Prior to and during this time his organ study was with Frank B. Jordan, Carl Staplin, Arthur Poister and Russell Saunders. A pianist, harpsichordist, conductor and singer as well, he studied with Barbara Lister-Sink, Lenora McCroskey and Margaret Hauptmann. While at Eastman, Mr. Brillhart was active as a pianist in the studios of Jan DeGaetani, John Maloy, Thomas Paul and Peter Salaff.

http://www.jeffreybrillhart.com/index.htm

Manfred BRANDSTETTER studied music in Stuttgart ; he was organist and choirmaster District Kirchheim / Teck.

In 1960 he was organist and choirmaster in Lübeck (North German city) where he is also a professor at the Organ School.

In 1964, Manfred BRANDSTETTER comes to Berlin where he was organist at St. Matthäus Church, and professor at the Conservatory.

Since 1967 he was organist and choirmaster of the Cathedral Marktkirche Hanover, and responsible for many religious music in Hanover, where he also teaches organ at the State Academy of Music and Theatre. Numerous trips led him to give recitals in Germany and abroad, where he also made radio recordings.

2 February 1948, Mainz – 26 November 2012,Saarbrücken

After studying composition and organ, Theo Brandmüller became professor of composition at the Saarland Academy in 1979.

Organ performances in Germany and abroad, mostly with contemporary music.

Co-director of the young composers competitions of the Musikalische Jugend Deutschlands e.V. at Schloss Weikersheim.

Numerous prizes for his works, among them a scholarship of the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris and the Rome Prize of the Villa Massimo in 1979.

1986 and 1988 teacher and director of the ‘Table d’orgue’ at the International summer courses at Darmstadt.

Among his organ works, the Concerto for organ and orchestra (1981) is the most important.

Organ player at the Ludwigskirche, Saarbrücken since 1982.

After classical studies at the National Conservatory of Music in Paris rewarded with five Price (Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue, Organ and Organ Improvisation), Philippe BRANDEIS won the Grand Prix in 1989 and Organ Improvisation Competition of the European Beauvais (under the auspices of the National Federation of the organ friends) and the following year, became a finalist in the renowned International Organ Competition of Chartres.

After serving for five years as choir organist at the Church of the Madeleine, he was appointed after a competition in February 1994 holds the Grand Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre (Pais) and in October 1998, again after competition becomes the holder of the Grand Organ of the Saint-Louis des Invalides in Paris.

Philippe BRANDEIS holds since 1988 the organ CA and CA national interim manager (aptitude certificates issued by the Ministry of Culture for teaching or conservatory direction). He is now head of the department of instrumental disciplines at the National Superior Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris and organ professor at Cergy-Pontoise National Region Conservatory.

Meanwhile, Philippe BRANDEIS leads an intense concert activity and occurs both in France and abroad, particularly in England, Germany, Holland, Italy, Russia, Latvia, Czech Republic … recently invited by the orchestra Paris to play the organ solos of Leos Janacek Glagolitic Mass under the direction of Pierre Boulez, it was also he who plays the organ parts of the films Jean de Florette, Cyrano de Bergerac, Tired, guilty of innocence …

Philippe BRANDEIS recorded the keyboards of the great organ of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre in Paris a French compact-disc devoted to romantic composers and organ of Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie) with Laurent TERZIEFF as narrator, a new work by John Giroud entitled Images for Crucis (published in March 1999).

Didier Braem musical studies conducted in multiple areas : piano, organ, writing, music analysis, conducting, composition.

He worked with Yves Devernay (organist at Notre-Dame de Paris), Gaston Litaize, Jean-Claude Henry, Robert Delcroix between at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won several first prizes, shortly after being named holder of the new organ of Church of St. Martin de Roubaix (5 keyboards – 54 stops).

Attracted by the teaching, he teaches piano, writing and musical analysis. Getting to 26 CA director, he became director of CRC Wasquehal. The same year, he recorded a first set of organ music disk and displaying many of his works, acclaimed by critics disk.

In 1991, Didier Braem became head of CRD Roubaix. Developing many educational projects and a conductor of activity, it will work to revitalize this reputable school, one of the oldest in France.

Architect of the construction of the new organ in Wasquehal (G. Guillemin – 1989), he seeks to open up the image of the organ and to broaden its audience. He has given numerous concerts and recitals in major festivals in Paris (Notre Dame, Saint-Séverin), Bourges, Chartres, Lille, Monaco, Luxembourg, Leeds, Madrid …

For twenty years he worked regularly with the Orchestre National de Lille who invited him to play as a soloist (mainly 3rd symphony of Saint-Saëns) when touring in France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Netherlands (inauguration of the restored organ Concertgebouw of Amsterdam) and South America (Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Chile). He participated in several recordings, and also occurs with other formations (Chamber Orchestra of France, Douai Orchestra, concertos by Handel, Haydn, Escaich …).

This interpreter activity gives him the opportunity to work with great conductors (Jean-Claude Casadesus, Yehudi Menuhin, Kent Nagano, Jesus Lopez Cobos-Christoph Spering, Michael Stern …) and support of prominent artists (including Barbara Hendrix, in Fauré’s Requiem at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris).

Very involved in the arts issues and the educational field, Didier Braem today have responsibilities to the Ministry of Culture and Communication (Inspection Service and artistic creation). Speaking through multifaceted career reflects the approach of a musician keen to constantly deepen the scope of its research.