Michel Chapuis

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Michel ChapuisChapuis was organist for the Paris churches of St. Germain l’Auxerrois (1951-54) and St. Nicolas des Champs (1954-72), accompanied at Notre Dame (1955-64), and was titular organist of St. Séverin from 1964. He also toured widely as a concert artist. From 1956-79 he was Professor at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg, 1979-86 at the Besançon Conservatoire, and 1986-95 at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1995, he was named organist to the Versailles Royal Chapel.

Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.


Videos:
Michel Chapuis – Grand Jeu Classique – St. Ouen
Michel Chapuis – Improvisations in French classical style – Chapelle Royale, Paris
Michel Chapuis – Improvisation sur “Ubi Caritas” – Cathédrale Saint-Vincent, Saint-Malo
Michel Chapuis – Improvisations dans le style classique français – Orgue Aubertin, Karuzawa, Japan

Jeffrey Brillhart

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JeffreyBrillhartJeffrey Brillhart is Director of Music and Fine Arts at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, PA and on the music faculty at Yale University, where he teaches organ improvisation. Winner of the 1994 National Competition in Organ Improvisation, sponsored by the American Guild of Organists.

Official website:
http://www.jeffreybrillhart.com/





Book:
BreakingFreeBrillhartBreaking Free: Finding a Personal Voice for Improvisation through 20th Century French Improvisation Techniques. Published by Wayne Leupold Editions.

William Porter

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William PorterPorter studied organ at Oberlin College and Yale University where he received the DMA degree in 1980. He taught harpsichord and organ at Oberlin from 1974 to 1986 and taught organ, music history and music theory at the New England Conservatory in Boston from 1985 to 2002. He has also taught organ improvisation at the Eastman School of Music and McGill University.

He has an article on North German Improvisational Practice in GOArt Research Reports Vol. 2 and an article on contrapuntal improvisation in the GOArt Research Reports, Vol. 3.

You can hear him on Spotify.


Recordings:

An Organ Portrait
Includes and improvised Magnificat setting.

Videos:
Three excerpts from a masterclass given by William Porter on Hymn-Tune Improvisations at the AGO National Convention in Washington, DC in July 2010:
William Porter – Hymn-Tune Improvisation Masterclass, Part I – Washington, DC
William Porter – Hymn-Tune Improvisation Masterclass, Part II – Washington, DC
William Porter – Hymn-Tune Improvisation Masterclass, Part III – Washington, DC

Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 1
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 2
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 3
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 4
Smarano International Organ Academy Course Part 5
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Prelude
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Canon
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Intermezzo
O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Fugue
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: I (Theme and Plein jeu)
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: II (Scherzo)
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: III (Meditation)
Improvisation: Four Modal Variations on Salve Regina: IV (Introduction and Passacaglia)

Vidas Pinkevicius

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PinkeviciusVidas Pinkevicius graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius with Bachelor‘s and Master’s degree in Organ Performance. He also holds Master’s degree from the Eastern Michigan University (USA) under Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (USA) with the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance. At UNL, he defended his DMA dissertation on Improvisation of Keyboard Preludes in the Style of J.S. Bach.

Vidas Pinkevicius has his own channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/vidpinkus

He also offers a free keyboard prelude improvisation course via email here.

Videos:
Vidas Pinkevicius – Painting: Pieta
Vidas Pinkevicius – Painting: Sleeping Beauty

Pierre Pincemaille

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PincemailleOfficial website:
pierrepincemaille.fr
You can hear him on Spotify.

In 1987, Pierre Pincemaille was appointed Titular Organist to the Basilique de Saint-Denis.


Recordings:

Improvisations on European National Anthems


Improvisations


Pincemaille: Improvisations sur des thèmes de Noël


Cannes : Un festival d’improvisations


Improvisationen (an der grossen Kuhn-Orgel des Mindener Doms)

Videos:
Prélude – St. Denis
Sortie – St. Denis
Offertoire – St. Denis
Conditor Alme Siderum – St. Denis
Improvisation sur “Noi canteremo gloria a Te” (aka OLD HUNDREDTH) – Chignolo d’Isola, Bergamo, Italy
Pierre Pincemaille – Theme and Variations on a popular tune – Saint-Martin de Dudelange – Luxembourg
Pierre Pincemaille – the film FAUST of MURNAU – Saint-Ouen de Rouen

Jean-Pierre Leguay

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Jean-Pierre LeguayJean-Pierre Leguay is a French organist, composer and improviser. He studied organ with André Marchal, Gaston Litaize, Rolande Falcinelli, as well as counterpoint with Simone Plé-Caussade, and composition with Olivier Messiaen. He served as titular organist at Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris from 1961 to 1984. In 1985, Jean-Pierre Leguay was awarded the post of one of four titulaires des grands orgue of Notre-Dame, Paris alongside Yves Devernay, Olivier Latry and Philippe Lefèbvre, following the death of Pierre Cochereau.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.


Recordings:

Jean-Pierre Leguay: Improvisations

Video:
Jean-Pierre Leguay – Prélude de la messe grégorienne – Notre Dame, Paris

Philippe Lefebvre

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philippelefebvreWith the encouragement of Pierre Cochereau, Philippe Lefebvre began organ studies at the Conservatoire de Lille before entering the class of Rolande Falcinelli at the Conservatoire de Paris. He won the premier prix for improvisation at the international Lyon competition in 1972 and then the grand prix for improvisation at the international Chartres competition. In 1976, he was appointed organist titulaire at Chartres cathedral. In 1985, Philippe Lefèbvre was awarded the post of one of four titulaires des grands orgue of Notre-Dame, Paris alongside Yves Devernay, Olivier Latry and Jean-Pierre Leguay, following the death of Pierre Cochereau.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.


Recordings:

Mallié – Lefèbvre : Improvisations à l’ogue

Videos:
Prélude – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame
Sortie – 19.04.2009 – Notre Dame
Sortie – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame
Offertoire – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame

Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 1
Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 2
Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefèbvre, Vincent Dubois, Paolo Oreni and Kalevi Kiviniemi – Improvisation-à-cinque – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel

Charles Tournemire (Philippe Lefebvre plays) – Victimae paschali laudes – Chartres Cathedral, France