Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yeon-ju KIM start organ music in Gye-won Arts High School. Later at the Yonsei University in Seoul she studied with Dr. Tong-soon Kwak and Dr. Dong-lim Min and she obtained the Bachelor’s degree of music in 2006. In 2003, she obtained Grand prize of the 4th Sports Today Bethesda University Music Competition in all instruments and played the recital at Young-San Arts Hall. The others are that she participated 7th, 8th International Torch Organ Academy and several master classes renowned organiste such as Louis Robillard or Ludger Lohmann.

In 2006 she came in France and she studied the organ and the harpsichord with Éric Lebrun (organ) and Richard Siegel (harpsichord) in St.Maur Conservatory where she won the two first prize for organ and harpsichord. Her studies continuel with Michel Bouvard and Olivier Latry at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris since 2007. She gave concerts in Seoul and she is giving concerts in Europe.

Yeon-Ju KIM – Chartres 2010

Jolanda Zwoferink is born in 1969 in Leersum (Utrecht, Holland). She has made first organ studies with her father, Lambert Zwoferink. In Rotterdam and Tilbourg, she studied with Arie J. Keijzer, Folkert Grondsma and Bram Beekman. She acquired the following certificates : certificate of Execution, First Price of organ and the licence ‘ Musique Liturgique ‘.

Conducted by Charles de Wolff (symphonic writings), Olivier Latry and Hans-Ola Ericsson in Notre-Dame of Paris (Messiaen) and Naji Hakim (St-Trinidad, Paris). she participated in different improvers’ courses.

She is the organist and choirmaster in Rotterdam (Prinsekerk, organ of J.F. Witte, on 1877) and in Krimpen aan den IJssel (organ of J. Proper, on 1891).

Jolanda Zwoferink gives concerts in Holland and abroad; she is professor of organ and piano in Rotterdam.

Jolanda ZWOFERINK – Chartres 2008

http://www.jolandazwoferink.nl/welkom?lang=en

Vincent Warnier, born 14 October 1967 at Hayange (Moselle), is a French organist. He completed his musical studies at the Conservatory of Strasbourg (organ class of Daniel Roth and Andrew Stricker), the Conservatory of Rueil-Malmaison (class of Marie-Claire Alain) and the Conservatory of Paris , where he won numerous awards (organ with Michel Chapuis and Olivier Latry).

in 1992 he was awarded first prize for interpretation of the Grand Prix of Chartres.

In 1995 he was organist co-owner of the Reformed Church of the Annunciation in Paris. Then in 1997 he became organist co-owner, with Thierry Escaich , the Church of St. Étienne-du-Mont in Paris. The same year he was given the Theodore Jacquot organ of Notre-Dame de Verdun, successor to Canon Peter Camonin .

Regarded as an instrumentalist and improviser foreground Vincent Warnier conducting an international concert career. He performs regularly in Japon and major European countries. It should aise clarify its commitment to a second job he leads in parallel with the first: the music teacher. Associate Professor, he taught at the University of Poitiers and is now a professor at the College Stanislas in Paris.

Vincent WARNIER – Chartres 2011

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Warnier

Colin Walsh is at the front of his generation of organists in England. He has played many recitals in England in cathedrals, abbeys, college chapels and two at the Royal Festival Hall.

Further afield, he has played in most European countries, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA. During the summer of 2005 he was involved in the third performance of John Tavener’s ‘The veil of the Temple’ as part of the Holland Festival in the Oude Kirk, Amsterdam and plays the organ for the Universal Label on a CD entitled ‘The Choirboys’. In 2006 he toured New Zealand as European artist of the Organists’ Congress and has recently given concerts in the Svetlanov Hall, Moscow, Cologne Cathedral and Notre-Dame de Paris.

His many recordings on the Priory label include two early recitals of modern French music from Salisbury, Vierne and Duruflé from St Albans and Vierne (second and third symphonies ; twenty-four pièces en style libre) from Lincoln. The restoration of the Lincoln organ in 1998 was accompanied by a CD of more popular music on the Cantoris label and a recording of French music on the Guild label was released in 2005. On the same label, a recording of the fifth and sixth symphonies of Widor was released in 2007, followed by a recording of organ music by Franck in 2008. He has recorded many times for the BBC. His teachers have included Simon Preston, Nicholas Danby and Jean Langlais.

His three year studies in France with Jean Langlais at St Clotilde inspired him to specialise in French symphonic and modern music, in particular the works of Franck, Vierne and Langlais. This has brought him wide acclaim throughout the world. In 1988 he played Messiaen in front of the composer himself.

His work as organist has always been connected with long established choral foundations : at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford ; at Salisbury Cathedral as Assistant Organist and at St. Albans and Lincoln Cathedrals as Organist. Since January 2003 he has been Organist Laureate of Lincoln Cathedral where he presides over the fine Father Willis organ and plays regularly for the Cathedral’s services. He has served as a Council Member of the Royal College of Organists and has close associations with the Royal Academy of Music and the University of Cambridge. He is represented by PVA Management.

Colin Walsh was Organist and Master of the Choristers of Lincoln Cathedral between 1988 – 2002. At the beginning of 2003, the Dean & Chapter conferred on him the title of Organist Laureate. He has made 3 recordings with Guild records on the Father Willis organ : a collection of French music and recordings of Widor and Franck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Walsh_(organist)

Mikael Wahlin (b. 1960) studied with Hans Fagius and Hans-Ola Ericsson at the School of Music and Musicology in Göteborg and with David Sanger in London. He received his Soloist Diploma in 1988.

Among his international competetion successes he has won First Prize for Interpretation at the St. Albans competition in England.

He gives recitals regularly in Sweden and abroad and teaches at the School of Music and Muscology in Göteborg and at the College of Music in Malmö.

The Moscow organist, pianist and harpsichordist Konstantin Volostnov was born in Moscow in 1979. He began studding organ music in Maria Potashnikova’s class in Sergei Prokofiev Music School. From 1994 to 1999 he studied in the Academic Music College of The Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (piano and organ classes of Alexei Shmitov). In 2004 Konstantin Volostnov graduated from The Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he studied with Professor Alexei Parshin (organ), Yuri Martynov (piano), and Professor Alexei Lyubimov (chamber ensemble).

ln 2007 Konstantin Volostnov got a diploma of Staatliche Hochschule fur M&DK in Stuttgart where he took lessons from professor, doc. Ludger Lohmann, and in the same year Konstantin finished post-graduate course of The Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (organ Class of professor Natalia Gureeva).

Konstantin Volostnov is a winner of the First Prize at the E F. Walcker-prize in Schramberg (Germany, 2008) and First Prize at A.-F.Goedicke competition in Moscow (2008). In 2009 he became a winner (First prize) at St. Albans organ competition (UK) where he also got Peter Hurford prize (for the best performance of Bach’s work), Audience prize, and the prize for the best performance of Sacrificium by John Casken. Konstantin is a regular participant of the contemporary music festival “Moscow Autumn” (2001 -2009) and the Moscow International Organ Festival (2001 – 2007). The first organ and Chamber music festival “The North Orpheus” (Kirov, 2001) awarded Konstantin with “Outstanding Music Mastership” diploma.

He has several CD record (modern music 2004, 2009 Moscow conservatoire, Six organ sonates by Mendelssohn 2006, 2008, Great organ works 2006 and others. He has also recorded for radio-broadcast and TV. Since 2005 to 2006 he was appointed as an artistic director of the Federal Philharmonic Society of Caucasien Mineral Waters region. He gives concerts throughout Russia and abroad (France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, USA).

Konstantin VOLOSTNOV Chartres 2010

http://www.volostnov.ru/news_eng.htm

The audience has credited her with Standing Ovations and Bravos at her debut at the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein-Musikfestival. German newspaper „Die Zeit“ testifies : „Elke Voelker plays with such an extemporizing directness and burning, highly virtuos energy that you feel imposed to go down on your knees before her (the organ).“ Her Karg-Elert recordings are described as „Highly recommended“ by the English magazin „The Organ“…

Ms. Voelker has been a prizewinner in several international competitions including the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the prestigious “Internationalen Orgelwettbewerb Dom zu Speyer” in 1995. In 1999 she was finalist of the „Concours International d’Orgue de la Ville de Paris and obtained the „Medaille de la Ville de Paris“. 2002 she won the 3rd Prize of the „International Organ Competition of Erfurt“. 1994 she got scholar of the Robert-Bosch-Foundation, 2001 of Rotary International.

Since then her international success has last but not least established her excellent reputation as one of the most demanded organists of the younger generation, which led to an extensive international concert and teaching career (lectures/masterclasss).

As recording artist she has published 8 CDs and is featured exclusively by the German Organ Music Label AEOLUS. Her specialization in the organ works of Sigfrid Karg-Elert has resulted in the world premiere recording of his complete organ works (Label AEOLUS, Karg-Elert Edition). In this ongoing project, the first five CDs are available for sale. The project earns high praise from critics and public alike: In 2003 and 2004 her Vol.2 and 3 were rewarded „5 Diapason“ by the french magazine, in 2007 Vol.5 obtains the mention „Repertoire 9“ by Classica.

Her concert activity includes participation in the most prestigious international festivals in Europe, Australasia and Canada. Ms. Voelker was recently a featured performer of the RCCO (2006) and of the FFAO Congrès (2007). In June 2008 she was invited to perform at the AGO National Convention in Minneapolis. She has guest appearances with international orchestras as soloist and continuo player. Numerous international broadcastings and television recordings testify to her extensive activities. She is member of the English Karg-Elert Archive, of the German Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde (GdO), the American Guild of Organist and Honorary Member of the Associazione Organistica Siciliana.

Ms. Voelker has worked as Choir Organist and Cathedral Music Associate at the UNESCO Heritage St. Marys Imperial Cathedral of Speyer where she is well–known also as conductor and composer for organ and choir music. March-September 2009 she was nomminated interims Music Director (choir, organ) at Speyer Cathedral.

Ms. Voelker received her broad musical education in Germany, France, and USA. She studied organ, piano, harpsichord, conducting and church music at the Musikhochschulen in Mannheim (Concert Diploma „with distinction“) and Mainz. Her teachers include Leo Krämer (organ), Hans-Jürgen Kaiser (improvisation) and Mathias Breitschaft /Michael Hofstetter (conducting). A scholarship allowed her to study abroad with Wolfgang Rübsam (University of Chicago) and Michelle Leclerc (Schola Cantorum, Paris), where she obtained a «Premier Prix» with distinction „très bien a l’unanimité” (organ/improvisation). She has attended master classes and private studies with Jean Guillou and Daniel Roth (Paris), Nicholas Kynaston (London), Jon Laukvik (Stuttgart) and Piet Kee (Haarlem).

Besides this, she has received degrees in Musicology and Roman/German Studies at the University of Heidelberg. Journalistic activity as music critic has been added to various musicological publications, including articles in encyclopedias like the new edition of Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (Bärenreiter), in the review «ORGAN – Journal fur die Orgel» (Schott) and in The Sydney Organ Journal.

Ms. Voelker is Honorary Member of the English Karg-Elert Archive, Founder and Artistic Director of the international concert serie Deidesheimer Musikherbst and of the Russian International Organ-Festival Philharmony Perm (since 2006). As Rotarian, she has founded the German Rotary Choir and was awarded with the Paul Harris Fellow Medal in 2007.

http://www.elkevoelker.de/

Wim Viljoen is a professor of organ and head of the Music Department of the University of Pretoria.

He has studied with Stephanus Zondagh at UP and continued his studies under Marie-Claire Alain in Paris.

He has played recitals in the USA as well as in the UK, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Germany and the Czech Republic. He has released 8 CD’s to date, amongst which are “Recital” (organ solo) and “Arioso for violin and organ” with violinist Zanta Hofmeyr.

Johann VEXO was born in 1978 in the northeastern French city of Nancy. At the age of 25, he was appointed Choir Organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Soon thereafter he was also appointed Organist of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Cathedral in Nancy. After teaching at the Angers Conservatory for 10 years, he is now Professor of Organ at the Conservatory and at the Superior Music Academy in Strasbourg.

Johann Vexo first studied organ with Christophe Mantoux, as well as early music and harpsichord at the Strasbourg Conservatory, where he was awarded Premier Prix in organ.
He continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory where his teachers included Michel Bouvard and Olivier Latry for organ, Thierry Escaich and Philippe Lefebvre for improvisation.
He earned Premier Prix in both organ and basso continuo and additional prizes in harmony and counterpoint.

Johann Vexo has performed extensively throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia. He has appeared as a featured artist in numerous international music festivals and organ series in cities such as Atlanta, Auckland, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Montreal, Moscow, New York, Porto, Riga and Vienna. His performances have also included notable venues such as the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington DC, the Wanamaker Grand Court in Philadelphia, the KKL in Lucerne, the St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney and the Yekaterinburg Philharmonic Hall.

Johann Vexo has also performed with various orchestras and musical ensembles.
He has been invited to teach organ master classes for the American Guild of Organists and at prestigious institutions including Rice University in Houston, the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia, Westminster Choir College in Princeton and Aveiro University (Portugal).
He has recorded several CDs on historical French organs, especially one on the JAV Recordings label on the great organ of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Johann Vexo is represented by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.

Johann VEXO – Chartres 2009

Olivier VERNET was born in Vichy in 1964. He discovered both the organ and his vocation as an organist at an early age. After obtaining his high school diploma, he went on to study under the direction of Gaston LITAIZE at the National Regional Conservatory at St-Maur-des-Fossés.

In four years of studies, he obtained five Gold Medals, a First Prize in organ “Excellence” (unanamous) and the concert artist diploma, with honours.

In October 1986, Olivier VERNET was admitted to the perfecting studies course of Marie-Claire ALAIN at the National Regional Conservatory at Rueil-Malmaison where he was awarded the First Prize in virtuosity (unanamous with congratulations from the jury) in June, 1987.

He obtained the Certificate of Aptitude as professor of organ in 1988 and in June 1990 was awarded the First Prize in organ at the National Superior Conservatory of Music in Paris in the class of Michel CHAPUIS.

Olivier VERNET has been awarded numerous distinctions : First Prize of honour, U.F.A.M. (Paris), 1984 ; First International Grand Prize of Bordeaux, 1991. Finally, Olivier VERNET was the 1992 winner of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation after having been the winner of the Foundation of Vocation in 1989.

Organist at St-Louis in Vichy and at the cathedral of Monaco, professor of organ at the National Regional Conservatory in Tours, Olivier VERNET leads an active concert career as organist and accompanying pianist for his sister, the soprano Isabelle VERNET. Partner of Guy TOUVRON and regular guest at France-Musique Radio, he performs in France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, Czech Republic, USA, Japon…

His impressive list of recordings has already received several distinctions including the Diapason d’Or, the “shock” of the Monde de la Musique, etc …

http://www.olivier-vernet.com/index2.htm