Liesbeth Schlumberger-Kurpershoek commenced her organ studies white still at school by travelling fortnightly from Vryheid, Northern Natal to Parktown, Johannesburg for lessons with the late Prof Stephanus Zondagh. This doyen of South African organ teachers taught for many years at of the University of Pretoria from where Liesbeth subsequently graduated.

In 1985 she won both the SABC Music Prize and the UNISA Overseas Study Bursary which enabled her to go to France in 1987 to Study organ under Marie-Claire Alain at the Conservatoire National de Rueil-Mailmaison and harpsichord with Huguette Dreyfuss.

Later she furthered her organ studies under Jean Boyer at the Conservatoire National de Région in Lille and improvisation with Jean Langlais. ln 1989 she won first prize in the International Organ Competition held in Bordeaux.

In 1994, Liesbeth was appointed Organist of the Reformed Church of Étoile in Paris, a two minute walk from the Arc de Triomf where she plays a superb Cavaillé-Coll organ that is wonderfully suited to the repertoire of French Organ Music of the 19th and 20th century. At the church she organises a concert series entitled “Sunday Music” at which some of the finest musicians in Europe perform.

In 1996 Liesbeth Schlumberger was appointed assistant to Jean Boyer at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon, France. This legendary teacher died in 2004 at the young age of 56. Since 2005 Liesbeth Schlumberger and Francois Espinasse have carried forward his legacy in Lyon. In addition, she is an active recitalist and frequently conducts masterclasses.

In 2010 she will be an adjudicator at the Chartres International Organ Competition, one of the most prestigious of its kind in the world of the organ.

Liesbeth SCHLUMBERGER – Chartres 2010

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

Philippe Sauvage was born in Paris in 1956.

From 1971 to 1978, he studied music at Cesar Franck Music School in Paris and was unanimously awarded the First Prize of Organ at the Concours National de Musique (Paris). A student of law at University he nevertheless attended the Conservatoire National de Région in Rueil-Malmaison where he proved to be a brilliant student of Susan Landale and Marie-Claire Alain.

He was then awarded the First Prize – both Superior and Excellence.

In 1989 Philippe Sauvage was appointed organist of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of St Pierre de-Neuilly-sur-Seine church.

A teacher of organ for two conservatories near Paris, he also takes part in examination juries as well as in many cultural activities.

Since 1982, Philippe Sauvage has been giving a great number of concerts throughout the whole country including Paris – Notre-Dame Cathedral, St Séverin Church and many others – and also abroad, either as a soloist or in a duet -organ and trumpet- or with varions orchestras such as the brass Ensemble de Cuivres of Paris.

Philippe Sauvage has also taken part in public programmes for Radio-France and has recorded several CDs.

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

René Saorgin, born in 1928 in Nice, France, is one the most respected organists of France.

He studied at the Conservatoire de Nice under Maurice Duruflé. In 1958, he won the first prize “Jean Sébastien Bach” at at the International Organ Competition of Gand. From 1951 to 1954 he was organist at Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, then started teaching organ at the Nice Conservatory.

In 1954, he became the holder of the organ of the church Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Nice. From 1969 to 1971, he was the director of Ajaccio Conservatory. He is one of the few French organists with a deep interest for the Italian organ and its music ; noteworthy on this, some of his first recordings were done at the organ of Bastia and Brescia (Frescobaldi, 1963).

With his recording in Tende (1973), he revived interest on curious 19th century musical instruments. His Buxtehude’s complete work recordings [1966-1973: Alkmaar & Zwolle (Netherlands), Altenbruch (Germany), Arlesheim (Switzerland)] are considered a “Reference”. He is one of the first French organists to reveal the astounding Georg Muffat’s Toccatas (Apparatus Musico-Organisticus) on the italianized organ of Malaucène (1974).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Saorgin

TRIBUTE TO VICTOR RUELLO (Contest September 19, 1976)

The sudden death on June 20, 1976 Victor Ruello, titular organist of the Cathedral of Chartres for 33 years, has not only shocked his many friends who appreciated his loyalty, kindness and simplicity, but also all settings organistic, which has long had taken the measure of his talent and dedication to the cause of the organ.

The Association of Great Organs of Chartres has already expressed through the voice of its President what she had to Victor Ruello and for the role he played, “workers of the first hour” in the renovation of the instrument we admire today, and one he always took in organizing the International Competition “Great Charter Award”, which is hardly suspect because it is hidden, work it requires.
We will discuss here, our friend reminding outlines the main stages of his life and career and quoting some of the evidence that was returned.

Ruello Victor was born in Bellac (Haute-Vienne) April 23, 1918, a Breton family of origin, deeply religious and very musical. He spent his childhood in Mayenne, where his father was stationed. Young, music pulled and the holder of the great organ of Notre Dame de Mayenne, Auguste Fauchard, who was later holder Laval Cathedral and left major organ compositions, guided his first lessons of young organist.

Came to Chartres with his family in 1929, he attended the Institution Notre-Dame (where he would later profess the music) and, above all, the Master Notre-Dame, where he regularly won the prize in piano and singing . But it is in Orleans after 1936 he devoted himself especially to the organ, going to follow the organ class of the School of Paris Caesar Franck sequentially with Joseph Bonnet, Abel Decaux, Édouard Souberbielle and taking the choir organ occasionally the great organ of Saint-Paterne in Orléans.

At death, March 2, 1943, of AIphonse Marré, a prominent titular – for over 30 years – the organ of Chartres, he sought the position and the end of 1943 obtained as a result of the competition introduced by the Chapter of the Cathedral. Victor Ruello imposed itself quickly, making the most of an instrument that had suffered terribly from bad weather during the Occupation, displaying at the same time an effective musical and educational activity.

The greatest joy of his career as an organist was to be inaugurated on the evening of June 5, 1971, “his” organ lavishly renovated it touched the first as usual, by interpreting the Bishops Walk Louis Vierne …

Victor Ruello gave many recitals : in Paris (Notre-Dame and Palais de Chaillot), in the province (Limoges, Rennes, Guérande, …), England (Chichester), Belgium (Brussels, several times) in Switzerland (Lausanne and Radio). He loved in his recitals, playing contemporary French musicians – Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupré, Jehan Alain,… – he could do appreciate. As in Chartres, he loved his art to deliver that was greedy; he lent pleased to questions from listeners, especially young people.

Talented performer and brilliant improviser, he was also a composer, too unknown undoubtedly precisely because of his selflessness: we owe him several choirs four mixed voices, Mass, Cantata of the seventh centenary (of the Dedication of the Cathedral) etc… Some stories make meaningful gestures or less imperfect image of the late Master. We know, for example, that the eminent organist Gaston Litaize was especially come to Nice to take the great organ during the burial Mass on June 23 at the Cathedral, and thus pay a final tribute to his friend ; a moving improvisation, at the time of Absoute on the Song of Farewell took all its full meaning. On July 25, at the Cathedral again, having agreed to replace Victor Ruello, which was to give a recital that day, he spoke gently his memory by performing two works under its program and improvising “on the name of Victor Ruello”.

Bishop of Chartres, Roger Michon, recalling the excellent musician, added : “He was a man full of faith who put his art at the service of the Church”.
Peter Firmin Didot, “We’re in trouble here .. We lose a friend incomparable kindness, simplicity, modesty, each speaks and recognizes the merits”. Michel Louvet, the National Music Committee “Man of infinite delicacy, a modesty and a very rare courtesy, and kneaded talented musician, he worked at the keyboards of the instrument until his death”.

“He bore with quiet serenity a mission deep joy it provides do not always outweigh the easements. – From the homily by Bishop Dongradi at the funeral, “it was said. Master Victor Ruello – and it was, but he was a teacher, he was also in line -this his faith- a servant. The organist who assists a religious service is God’s servant, the servant of the liturgy, the servant of the assembly. Our friend was really him. He understood that, far from imposing, he had to allow faithful to celebrate the greatness, dignity, the beauty, the worship due to God, praise the Most High…”

This testimony, finally, a parishioner of the cathedral, Victor Ruello might have preferred to all others : “He put his gifts at the service of his brothers and the Church. He helped us to meet. God, he helped us to pray… We say THANK YOU”.

Wolfgang Rübsam was professor of Church Music and Organ at Northwestern University since 1974 upon winning the 1973 Grand Prix de Chartres, Interpretation, and University organist at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel (The University of Chicago), since 1987.

In October 1996 he accepted the professorship in Organ at the Hochschule des Saarlandes fur Musik und Theater in Saarbrücken (Germany), and additionally in 1999 the position of University Organist and Artist in Residence at Lawrence University, Appleton Wisconsin.

Wolfgang Rübsam is internationally known through his highly acclaimed recordings of organ repertoire from the baroque and romantic periods, on labels such as Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, Schwann, Harmonia Mundi, Bellaphon, Bayer Records and Naxos, comprising today nearly one hundred recordings. In recent years his Naxos recordings also presented works of Johann Sebastian Bach performed on the modern piano.

Wolfgang Rübsam is frequently scheduled for recitals and masterclasses in Europe and has served on the juries for the Grand Prix de Chartres (France), the Lahti International Organ Competition (Finland), and the Speyer International Organ Competition in Germany.

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Rubsam-Wolfgang.htm

Pascale ROUET first studied music in Charleville-Mézières and then at the Conservatoire in Reims. She continued at the Paris Conservatoire in organ, improvisation, harmony, counterpoint and orchestration.

She then studied improvisation with Jean-Pierre LEGUAY, organ with André ISOIR and Bernard FOCCROULLE. In 1986 she obtained first prize in the International Competition in Toulouse, devoted to contemporary music.

She was appointed organ teacher at the National Music School of Charleville-Mézières in 1988 and organist at the abbey of Mouzon in 1991.

Aware of the rich organ repertoire from the origin to the present, she has a wide and varied repertoire. She has collaborated with Renaissance ensembles, brass ensembles, vocal ensembles, participating in many festivals in France, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia.

Pascale ROUET – Chartres 2008

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

Daniel Roth, widely acclaimed as one of the leading French organ virtuoses, has held several prestigious positions as botte pertormer and teacher.

At the age of twenty he made his debut at the organ of the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre-Paris, as assistant of his teacher, Madame Rolande Falcinelli.

He later succeded her as titular organist, a post which he held until 1985 when he was appointed titular organist at St Sulpice, the famous Paris church where is predecessors were Charles-Marie Widor, Marcel Dupré and Jean-Jacques Grünenwald. A former student at the Paris Conservatory, Daniel Roth’s teachers have included Marie-Claire Alain and Maurice Durufé. He has won several competitions, among them the Grand Prix de Chartres 1971, interpretation and improvisation.

After teaching positions at the Conservatories of Marseille, Strasbourg and the Saarbrücken Musikhochschule, he is currently Professer of organ at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt am Main where he is successor te, Edgar Krapp and Helmut Walcha from 1995 to 2007. Daniel Roth has been also Artist-in residence at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and chairman of the organ department at Catholic University in Washington D.C..

He is invited to play concerts as a soloist and with famous orchestras. Furthermore he teacher masterclasses and participates on furies for organ competitions throughout the world.

On the 11th November 2005 he has played the dedication of the new Karl Schuke (Berlin) Organ of the Concert Hall “Grand Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte” in Luxembourg for the construction of which he has been artistic advisor. A composer as well as performer, Daniel Roth has several works for organ, for flute and organ, choir and organ. The City of Ludwigshafen (Germany) commissionned him an orchestra piece “Licht im Dunkel” first performed in this tocan in mat’ 2005 and in Paris, St Étienne du Mont in april 2006 conducted by his son François-Xavier Roth. The work is published by Schott.

For his compositions he received the Florent Schmitt prize awarded by the Académie des Beaux-Arts (Institut de France).

Daniel Roth is also well known for his brillant improvisations which are regularly included in his concerts programs. He has many recordings to his credit covering pieces of the XVIIth century to the present time. Several of them were rewarded by the critics.

He is Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, Officier des Arts et Lettres, Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Organiste (London). In 2006 he received the European Prize of European sacred music from the Schwäbisch Gmünd Festival (Germany).

Daniel ROTH – Chartres 2011

http://www.danielrothsaintsulpice.org/english/

Almut Rössler church music director in Düsseldorf University professor Robert Schumann.

Well known as Messiaen interpreter, after many years of close collaboration with the composer. Its cycle “Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity” in 1972 led them to the European creation of the work ; the same in 1986 was played for the first time in Europe and the United States the “Livre du Saint Sacrement”.

Almut Rössler studied organ, piano and church in Detmold with Michael Schneider and Gaston Litaize in Paris (Organ), with Hans Richter Haaser (piano) and Kurt Thomas. She received the State examination for Church music.

During her career, she has given concerts throughout Germany, most European countries, USA, Canada, Japan, Korea and Israel, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Holy Osaka Symphony Hall in Japan and the Messiaen concerts in the Church of the Trinity, Paris.

Radio and television shows were made, among others, the PBS BBC, NHK Tokyo Radio France, Boston and almost all German radio stations.

She has participated as an artist and artistic director of various major festivals and music festivals, such as Messiaen celebrations Düsseldorf 1968, 1972, 1979 and 1986. She founded and directed the choir of St. John of 1967-1997 .

Prize of the German Record Critics in 1973 for his recording of Messiaen on “Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity,” Academic Palms in 1981 in France, elected organist of the year at the University of Michigan in 1986 recognition of his contribution to music.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almut_R%C3%B6ssler

Born in Germany, Elisabeth ROLOFF is recognised internationally as an outstanding concert organist. She has performed in many important cathedrals, churches and concert halls in Europe (including the Royal Festival Hall in London and Notre-Dame in Paris) as well as in the United States, Mexico, Russia and South America (Buenos Aires, Montevideo and San Paolo). Since 1992 Elisabeth has also given organ recitals in the important music centres of Eastern Europe (Leipzig, Budapest, Prague, Kiev, Riga, etc.). She has been acclaimed by the critics and has been presented in major festivals as well as on the radio in many countries. Currently she is the organist at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem and head of the organ department of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and appears regularly as a recitalist, accompanist and chamber musician.

After graduating from the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Elisabeth ROLOFF continued her studies with Ralph Downes at the Royal College of Music in London. In mid 1970s she studied French music with Marie-Claire Alain and while based in Paris she was appointed Organiste Titulaire of the German Church there. Her repertoire encompasses all important works from the international repertoire, and in 1985 she performed the complete organ works of J. S. Bach in the Jerusalem “Bach Organ Festival”, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

Elisabeth Roloff has made numerous commercial recordings, CDs, and audiocassettes of a large repertoire of organ works by Bach, Buxtehude, Mozart, and Pachelbel, as well as a recording of “Musica Sacra at the Redeemer Church in Jerusalem”, and a recital disc recorded on the organs of six different Jerusalem churches, “Orgellandschaft Jerusalem”.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Roloff

Composer and organist, Grégoire Rolland began learning music at a young age. First studying the piano, he but soon became fascinated with the organ and joined the organ class at the Conservatoire Jean-Philippe Rameau, Paris. There, he earned diplomas in music theory, then organ. He further continued organ practice with Éric Lebrun and studied orchestration with Olivier Kaspar at the Conservatoire of St-Maur-des-Fossés. From 2001 to 2006, he also was a chorister in the Maîtrise de Notre-Dame de Paris. The Maîtrise is known as the finest French choir, and young boys receive there the highest level of voice and music training while performing throughout Europe. Upon graduating in music and musicology at Sorbonne University, Grégoire entered the competitive organ class of Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard and music theory and analysis class at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris (CNSMDP). Grégoire Rolland has since pursued both careers of performer and composer.

Grégoire likes to think of music in terms of discourse, and he takes a particular interest in the formal relationship between rhetoric and music. He is equally curious of cuban and asian traditional music, which he explores in his own music writing. Grégoire Rolland has composed for both solo instruments and orchestra. In 2008, he was awarded the Robert et Marcelle de Lacour Foundation special prize for his organ work ‘Mes Rêves n’ont qu’un unique nom…’ (“My dreams have but one name”). In 2011, he was featured in the second season of “Appassionato” Young Composers, a special program of the Orchestra of Caen.

In April 2012, he has played the organ part in the world premiere of his piece ‘Caligaverunt oculi mei’ for male voices, organ and percussion at Notre-Dame de Paris, commission by Musique Sacrée à Notre-Dame de Paris.

Grégoire ROLLAND – Chartres 2010

http://www.gregoire-rolland.com/