Pupil of Renée Bonnet, Renée Pietrafesa, Lionel Rogg and Marie-Claire Alain, Cristina Banegas obtains the First Price of Virtuosity in the Geneve conservatoire ( Switzerland), the Organ Echeverria Price during the International Competition of Toledo (Spain) in 1981, the first Price of Excellency in the Rueil-Malmaison conservatoire (France) in Marie-Claire Alain’s class (1982), and then the Price of Professional Excellency, given by Pozos del Rey ‘s Rotary (2006).

She performs continually in Europe, United-States, Japan, Israel, Russia and Latin America. She also gives interpretation lessons in Spain, Switzerland, France, Columbia, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, USA…

With “De Profundis” ‘ Choir, Cristina Banegas conducts a lot of famous authors works like Bach, Mozart, Haendel, Brahms… She conducted in december 2006 – january 2007 Mozart’s Requiem with Uruguyan soloits, “De Profundis”‘choir and the Mozarteum ‘s Foundation’s Orchestra.

With De Profundis, she records on historical organs many cd’s recording. For most of them the international criticism have congratulated their author.

Cristina GARCIA BANEGAS – Chartres 2007

Elizabeth Ballon has long studies at the Paris Conservatory, returning at the age of 12 in “special theory” Berthe Duru and ending analysis class at Jacques Casterede. Meanwhile, three writing classes (Maurice Duruflé, Alain Weber, Marcel Bitsch) and the organ class of Rolande Falcinelli, where she obtained a second organ prices in 1971 after a first prize in counterpoint in 1967.
His musical life was then held in Angers, Mulhouse and Saint Maur des Fosses, where she taught writing and continued to practice the organ.
She currently holds the organ of the Protestant church in Vincennes.

A native of Dallas, a young George Baker won the American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Playing in 1970 (at age nineteen) and created a sensation in the organ world with his subsequent featured recital for that organization’s national convention two years later. He then went to Paris to study organ and improvisation as well as to record. He returned to America to teach organ, then entered medical school. Almost four decades later he has come full circle, returning to music as a performer, improviser, composer and teacher.

George Baker has received training with some of the finest organ teachers of the twentieth-century. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University under Robert Anderson, after which he traveled to Paris to study with Marie-Claire Alain, Pierre Cochereau, Jean Langlais and André Marchal. During his time in France, Baker earned the Prix de Virtuosité with Mention Maximum from the Schola Cantorum, under Langlais. Ultimately, he returned to the United States where he earned a Master of Music degree on full scholarship from the University of Miami, a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, and began teaching at Catholic University in Washington D.C. before deciding to undertake the challenge of becoming a medical doctor. Although he obtained his M.D. and became a dermatologist, Dr. Baker never ceased performing, composing, teaching and recording.

In his early years as a musician, George Baker won first prizes by unanimous jury decisions in several major organ competitions including the American Guild of Organists (Buffalo, 1970), the Grand Prix de Chartres (Chartres, France, 1974) and the International Improvisation Competition (Lyon, France, 1979). His recording credits include the complete organ works of J. S. Bach (1979) and the complete organ works of Louis Vierne (world premiere recording, released in 1994, a project he shared with Pierre Cochereau). He has been awarded three French Grand Prix du Disque, two of which were for The Complete Organ Works of Darius Milhaud. In 1995, the eight CD Vierne set won the coveted Grand Prix Spécial du Jury from the Nouvelle Académie du Disque Français. In 2000, the same recording won a critic’s choice award from American Record Guide.

George Baker’s compositions, published by H. T. Fitzsimmons, Fred Bock Music, Baroque Notes Inc., and Gentry Publications, have been performed both in the United States and in Europe. His recent commissioned work, Variations on ‘Rouen’, received their world premiere in the September 13, 2010 PipeDreams Live! concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. On September 26, 2010, they received their European premiere in concert at St-Sulpice in Paris.
Dr. Baker has served on juries in several prestigious organ competitions including the Grand Prix de Chartres in 2000 and 2004. Special areas of interest include the music of Louis Vierne and Maurice Duruflé, improvisation in the French style, and the organ building of Cavaillé-Coll.
His is also in frequent demand as a consultant for organ building and restoration projects. He serves as the USA representative for Orgues Bertrand Cattiaux, French organbuilder, voicer and restorer of such instruments as Notre-Dame de Paris and St-Sernin de Toulouse.

In 2003, Naxos released Volume 13 of The Organ Works of Marcel Dupré, recorded on the restored and enlarged Perkins Chapel organ at SMU. In 2007, he recorded a CD of the works of his teacher Jean Langlais on the famous 1888 Cavaillé-Coll organ of St-Sernin de Toulouse. The following year, he recorded three of his own works at St-Sulpice in Paris as part of a CD honoring his former mentor Pierre Cochereau. These two CDs were released on the Solstice label (France). On March 7, 2009, Baker was one of three Cochereau students chosen to play a special concert at Notre-Dame de Paris, honoring the twenty-fifth anniversary of Cochereau’s death. His Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol was performed at the 2009 King’s College Cambridge Lessons and Carols service, which was broadcast around the world on BBC Radio. His latest productions include a DVD video workshop on the subject of organ improvisation, released in 2011. This DVD features Paris Conservatoire improvisation professor and Notre-Dame de Paris titular organist Philippe Lefèbvre. His new Tiento Grégorien was commissioned by the Dallas Chapter AGO for their October 2010 opening service.

George Baker first appeared on the roster of Karen McFarlane Artists as a young artist, to which he returned at the beginning of the new millennium. He was a featured artist at the 2004 AGO National Convention in Los Angeles.

George C. BAKER – Chartres 2011

http://www.concertorganists.com/artists/George-Baker/

Born in Jaca (Huesca), Jose Enrique AYARRA-JARNE received the title of piano teacher from the Conservatory of Saragosse at the age of eleven. He received a diploma in organ and Gregorian Chant from the Catholic Instituts in Paris, and a University degree in theology from the Pontifical University in Salamanca.

He is official organist at the Cathedral and the Hospital de los Venerables in Seville.
Full member of the academy of the Sevillana Real Academia de Belles Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungria, Jose Enrique AYARRA-JARNE is a corresponding member of the Academias de San Fernando (Madrid) and of Ntra. Sra. De las Angustias (Grenada), and is technical music adviser for the Seville symphonie orchestra, for the Department for the Artistic Heritage of Archbishop Hispalense and for the Fondation Focus.

Prizes he has been bestowed inclue :
– “Juan Altisent” first prize from the “La voz de Valladolid” radio (1959).
– First prize from the Andalusian governing body for music research (1989 and 1993).
– “Andalucia” prize for music (1990) from the Andalusian governing body.
– Ciudad de Sevilla” prize 1996, Senior Citizen Hall , Excmo, Atenco.

Jose Enrique AYARRA-JARNE has given recitals in more thon thirty countries in Europe, America and Asia ; he has been soloist with varions well-known national and foreign orchestras. He has made radio recordings for radio and television networks in a dozen countries and made records using several organs in Seville. He recently completed the recording of the full works of Francisco Correa de Arauxo.
As a researcher and writer he has published several books and many articles for specialized magazines in Spain and abroad, generally in connection with Andalusian sacred music heritage, musiciens and instruments, artistic production and archives.

Pierre-Yves Asselin. Organist, teacher, b Montreal 6 Oct 1950 ; B MUS (McGill) 1975, PH D (Paris) 1983.

Pierre-Yves Asselin received an early training in music from his father, who was a cellist and choirmaster. At eight he was accepted as a member of the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal. He took piano lessons 1963-5 with Hilda Metcalfe-Daveluy. From 1965 to 1972 he studied theory, organ, and improvisation with Raymond Daveluy when he became interested in organ building and began working closely with the builders Karl Wilhelm and Hellmuth Wolff. He studied with John Grew at McGill University 1972-5 and earned a Bachelor degree in Music. He was assistant organist at Saint Joseph’s Oratory 1965-75 and was responsible for the maintenance of its organs 1968-75, and taught counterpoint 1974-5 at the UQTR. He was also organist at the Church of St-Pascal-Baylon (1968-9) and at Westmount Park United Church (1973-4).

On a Canada Council scholarship Asselin settled in Paris in 1975 and studied with Marie-Claire Alain while pursuing graduate research in organ and harpsichord building at the Laboratoire d’acoustique at the faculty of sciences of the University of Paris. He also became sub-organist at the Church of St-Germain-des-Prés and at the Church of St-Germain-en-Laye. In 1983 he received a PhD from the Paris University. He taught at the Paris Cons (1978-91) and also taught at the Lyons Cons 1983-91. In 1978 he recorded the Messe propre pour les couvents by Couperin and in 1985 he made an organ transcription of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, which he recorded along with the toccata from Widor’s Symphony No. 5.

An expert in tuning or the temperament of organs and harpsichords, Asselin lectured on this subject during festivals and has been an adviser and consultant to several recording enterprises. He wrote Musique et tempérament (Paris 1985), of which François Filiatrault wrote: ‘To my knowledge, it is the only book on the subject to tackle in a clear and direct manner an endless amount of fascinating details’ (Le Tic-Toc-Choc, vol 6, May 1985). In 1991, during a sabbatical year, Asselin directed his research towards creating a computerized program for ear training (Syncordia), and to Orgue 2000, which aimed to integrate an electronic system with a traditional organ. Both projects were based in Montreal and were funded by the Lyons Cons.

Syncordia International Inc was established in 1992 by Asselin to develop and enhance traditional pipe organ building techniques and is a leader in production and tuning of pipe organs.

Born in 1936 in Paris, Gilbert Amy won a first prize in the Concours General de Philosophie. He then decided to turn definitively towards music and entered the Paris Conservatoire, where he was the pupil of Simone Ple-Caussade, Henriette Puig Roget, Darius Milhaud and Olivier Messiaen. A few years later he met Pierre Boulez who commissioned from him “Mouvements”, which was first performed at the Domaine Musical en 1958. From then on, his works were performed in all the leading venues for contemporary music : Donaueschingen, Darmstadt, Venice, Royan, Berlin, Warsaw, etc..

In 1967 he succeded Pierre Boulez as director of the Domaine Musical concerts, a post he held until 1974, when the ensemble ceased activity.

Gilbert Amy as pursued a career as orchestral conductor in France and abroad, conducting a very wide repertory. He was, among others, invited by the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre de l’Opera de Paris, the Orchestre na tional de l’ORTF, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the’ Norddeutscher Rundfunk Orchester , the Ba varian Radio orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, …

In 1976, Gilbert Amy founded the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, and was appointed as first conductor and artistic director. He gave almost 100 concerts and recordings with this orchestra, and went on several tours in France and abroad. Among his teaching activities at thsis time may be mentioned his conducting classes at the Centre Acanthes en 1979 (with Gyorgy Ligeti)

In 1982, he taught composition and music analysis at Yale University (Usa). From 1984 to 2000 he was Director of the Lyon Conservatoire Superieur de Musique (CNSML).

In spite of thes various activities as interpreter, artisctic director and teacher, Gilbert Amy composed since the mid-1950. His catalogue includes instrumental as well as chamber music, ensemble and incidental music (theatre, film). The voice appears in many of his works, as early as 1956 with “Oeil de fumee”, a cycle of songs, until his recent opera “Le Premier Cercle”, fourty years later.

The orchestral music might be considered as part of the nucleous of his oeuvre, focused on sound and space organization. His “Orchestrahl” (1985-89) appears as one of his most ambitious symphonic productions.

Gilbert Amy has received the Grand Prix National de la Musique (1979), the Grand Prix de la SACEM (1983), the Grand Prix musical de la Ville de Paris( 1986), the Prix du disque de l’Academie Charles Cros (1987) and the Prix de la Critique dramatique et musicale (1988) for his Missa cum jubilo. In 2004, he was also awarded the Prix Cino del Duca for his entire oeuvre.

In 1999, his opera “Le Premier Cercle” was premiered with great success at the Opera National de Lyon (France) and distinguished by critics as the major lyric event of the last 10 years.

http://www.gilbertamy.fr/france/actualites.html

Born in Rouen in 1985, Benjamin Alard starts playing the piano at the age of seven. Then he studies the organ with Louis Thiry and François Ménissier at the Rouen Conservatory where he obtains a Gold Medal in 2001. Inspired by ancient music, he decides to turn towards the harpsichord, working with Elisabeth Joyé. He continues his studies at the Schola Cantorum in Basel where he obtains the organ and harpsichord diploma (with the jurys congratulations) in the classes of Jean-Claude Zehnder and Andrea Marcon.

In 2004, he is awarded the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Bruges International Competition. He is laureate at the program Déclic 2005 / 2006, organised by Cultures France, supported by Mécénat musical of the French bank Société Générale. Since 2005 Benjamin Alard is appointed organist at the new Aubertin organ in the church Saint Louis en l’Ile in Paris. In 2007, he is Juventus laureate. In September 2007, he Ovins the First Prize at the Gottfried-Silbermann organ competition in Freiberg (Germany). At this occasion the city of Naumburg awards him the Hildebrandt-Prize. In 2007, Benjamin Alard is nominated for the Victoires de la Musique Classique in the section « Révélation instrumentale ».

He is giving harpsichord and organ recitals during prestigious festivals: Printemps des Arts in Nantes, “la Folle journée” in Nantes and Lisbon, the festival in Saintes, at Flagey-Hall in Brussels, the Radio-France-Festival in Montpellier, concerts in the Louvre-Museum in Paris, the Bach-Festival in Istanbul, BOZAR in Bruxelles, Journées du Centre de Musique Baroque in Versailles, the festival in Ambronay… He is also taking part in concerts with musical ensembles such as La Petite Bande (dir. Sigiswald Kuijken), Capriccio Stravagante (dir. Skip Sempé), Venice Baroque Orchestra (dir. Andrea Marcon), Il Gardellino (dir. Marcel Ponseele)…

His CD entitled «Andreas Bach Buch» (Editions Hortus, 2006) has been distinguished by the reviewers («Joker» from Crescendo, «Cinq» from Goldberg, Le Monde, Diapason, Classica Répertoire….). « Transcriptions », his CD dedicated to J.S. Bach transcriptions for harpsichord (Editions Hortus, 2007) got an excellent review by Monde de la Musique. In November 2008 he released a harpsichord recording entitled « Manuscrit Bauyn » (Editions Hortus).

Between January and June 2009, Benjamin Alard has given a series of seven recitals on the organ in St Louis en l’Ile, dedicated to European music of the 17th century, presented country by country.

Born into a family of musicians in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near to Paris, she studied music at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris, where she won four Premier Prix, followed shortly after by several awards in international competitions.

She has toured extensively throughout the world, giving over 2000 concerts, either recitals or as a soloist with orchestra.

A very sought-after pedagogue, she is in charge of the “Cycle de formation professionnelle” for organists at the Conservatoire National de Région in Paris.

The list of her recordings is impressive : more than 200 records and over 60 CD’s. Let us cite only the famous “complete works” : J.S. Bach, Buxtehude, Franck, Jehan Alain. Her recordings have earned her more than 15 “Grands Prix du Disque”.

The town of Lübeck awarded her the Buxtehude Prize, crowning her action favouring Early German Music. Budapest gave her the Franz Liszt Prize. In Copenhagen, she was awarded the Leonie Sonning Foundation Music Prize. On this occasion, she was awarded with the Danish Dannebrog Order.

A member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Music, Marie-Claire Alain is also Doctor honoris causa of Colorado State University and of Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas). In France, she is a Commander of the Légion d’Honneur, of the Ordre National du Mérite, and of the Ordre National des Arts et Lettres.

Dead in Le Pecq February 26, 2013.

Born in Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1962, son of the Sorbonne professor Henri Adamczewski, Marc Adamczewski received his formation as an organist with Suzanne Chaisemartin and Gaston Litaize.

At the age of 20, having already received a diploma at the Ecole Normale of Musique in Paris, he obtained a Gold Medal at the National Conservatory of Music in Saint-Maur.

In 1982, he made a record on an organ of baroque style on which he interpreted works by Buxtehude and Bach.

In 1983, Marc Adamczewski went on his first recital tour in the USA and in Canada, and played at the Vatican in Rome during a papal audience. The same year, he received the First Prize in organ from the city of Paris.

At the National Conservatory of Music at Saint-Maur, he obtained a First Prize in Organ and Diploma of Concert Artist (unanimously, the jury being presided by Michel Chapuis and Marie-Claire Alain).

In 1984, Marc Adamczewski gave more than twenty recitals in France and North America, notably at Notre-Dame in Paris and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New-York. He was named Honorary Citizen of the city of Epinal for his concert there, profits from which were donated to Chose without homes in the Vosges.

In 1986, Marc Adamczewski gave several master classes on French music at the National Conservatory of Music in Poznan, and participated in the organ Festivals of Cracovie, Poznan, Inowroclaw, Bielsko-Biala, Nordeney, Molsheim, Munster, Strasbourg, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Gérardmer, etc.

A second disc has just appeared containing works by Widor, Surzynski, Lefébure-Wély, Vierne, Langlais et Litaize.

Since 1975, Marc Adamczewski has been organist of the church of Précy-sur-Oise.

Joseph Adam received his musical training at The University of Iowa, where he studied piano, organ and orchestral conducting, and received the Bachelor of Music and Master of Fine Arts degrees in piano. He had further training as an organist at the Eastman School of Music, and holds the Performer’s Certificate in Organ.

In 1993, Joseph Adam was appointed Cathedral Organist at St. James Cathedral; in addition to his duties as principal organist for the cathedral, he also oversees the ongoing restoration of the Cathedral’s historic 1907 Hutchings-Votey organ.

He is also member of the affiliate artist faculty at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, where he teaches organ and harpsichord in the School of Music and Community Music divisions.

Joseph Adam is a prize winner in numerous competitions. In 1991, he received the First Prize in the St. Albans International Organ Competition.

He made his European recital debut at the Bavokerk in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and has since played recitals in England, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Italy and France, as well as the United States.

His appearances have included performances at the national conventions of numerous professional organizations, including the American Guild of Organists, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, the Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians, and the Organ Historical Society.

He has served as a member of the American Guild of Organists National Committee for the Regional Competitions for Young Organists, and is a past Dean of the Seattle chapter of the A.G.O.; he served as chair of the performances committee of the A.G.O. National Convention held in Seattle in July, 2000.