RICE UNIVERSITY and HOUSTON AGO ORGAN SYMPOSIUM 2014 Schedule of Events “DISCOVERING THE FRENCH STYLE” A conference exploring improvisation, and organ playing in the French tradition Monday, January 6, 2014 through Thursday, January 9, 2014 FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES Since 1985, PHILIPPE LEFÈBVRE has been the tenured organist of the Great Organ of Notre-Dame de Paris, alongside Olivier Latry and Jean-Pierre Leguay. Philippe Lefèbvre discovered the organ of Notre-Dame de Paris at the age of 16. On the advice of Pierre Cochereau, organist of Notre-Dame de Paris, he began studying organ, improvisation and writing at the con- servatoire de Lille and then at the conservatoire national supérieur de Paris. At 19, he was appointed tenured organist at Arras cathedral and several months later, gave his first concert at Notre-Dame de Paris. In 1971, he won the premiers prix for organ and improvisation from the conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris, and then the first prizes for counterpoint and fugue. Winner of the Prix de la Fondation de la Vocation, then premier prix for improvisation at the international Lyon competition in 1972, he went on to win the grand prix for improvisation at the international Chartres com- petition and, in 1976, became tenured organist at Chartres cathedral. For over twenty years, Philippe Lefèbvre was director at the conservatoire de Lille (1980-2003). Under his leadership, this great school of music, theatre and dance (the oldest in France) became one of the most impor- tant and renowned conservatories in France, drawing some 1,700 pupils and students. He continued his teaching career at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris where he was professor of improvisation and where he had responsibility for the “Musique Sacrée à Notre-Dame de Paris” (Sacred Music at Notre-Dame de Paris) and with it, the task of running the choir school, the training of professional singers and the running of the cathedral’s musical activities. His career as a concert organist has taken him across the world where he has been the guest at major festi- vals, both as a soloist and accompanied by an orchestra. He is constantly in demand in Europe, the US, Eastern Europe and Japan for concert tours and masterclasses. Philippe Lefebvre has made a number of recordings (F. Couperin, N. de Grigny, M. Dupré, M. Duruflé, C. Franck, F. Liszt, R. Schumann, C. Tournemire, the Francis Poulenc concerto, etc.). He is considered to be one of the most ubiquitous performers and improvisers in the French organ playing tradition, an art through which he has brought fame across the globe to a tradition in constant renewal. JOHANN VEXO is organist of the Cathedral of Nancy as well as principal substitute organist for the Choir Organ of Notre-Dame de Paris. Born in 1978 in Nancy, he studied organ with Christophe Mantoux, musicology with Martin Gester and harpsichord with Aline Zylberajch at the Conservatoire National de Région de Strasbourg, where he was awarded first organ prize. After being admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, he finished his studies with Michel Bouvard and Olivier Latry, and won their first organ prize, their first basso continuo prize and the Diplôme de Formation Supérieure. At the same time, studied composition, winning the harmony and counter- point prizes. Mr. Vexo teaches organ at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional of Angers. He performs concerts fre- quently, both in France and abroad, including engagements in Europe, North America and Russia. Johann Vexo has recorded several CDs on historic French organs, including a recent release on the JAV label featuring Vexo performing on the great organ of Notre-Dame de Paris. Known for his engaging improvisations on hymns, submitted themes, silent films, scripture, poetry, and art- work, TOM TRENNEY became the first organist to be awarded First Prize and Audience Prize in the American Guild of Organists’ (AGO) National Competition in Organ Improvisation in 2006. Tom has performed at Royce Hall (UCLA), the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall (Nashville), Benaroya Hall (Seattle), Ocean Grove Auditorium (New Jersey), Portland Municipal Auditorium (Maine), Spreckels Organ Pavilion (San Diego), and Verizon Hall at Kimmel Center (Philadelphia); and has served as organist and clini- cian at regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, National Association of Pastoral Musicians, the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and the Calvin Institute of Worship. BERTRAND CATTIAUX was born in 1955 in Étampes, near Paris and at a young age, showed a great inter- est in music. When he was 14, opening the back doors of the organ of Notre Dame d’Étampes, he discovered a fascinating world of pipes, wood and mechanics. He began to take organ lessons with Noellie Pierront and soon discovered his true calling — he would become an organ builder. Having chosen Jean-Loup Boisseau as his training master, he had the opportunity to work on the great or- gan of Notre Dame de Paris and to meet the tenured organist, Pierre Cocherau. During the same period, he met Francis Chapelet and Michel Chapuis who introduced him to the literature of ancient music. He also befriended the late renowned organ virtuoso Jean Boyer. In 1980 Mr. Cattiaux became the business partner of Jean-Loup Boisseau and they established a new work- shop together. From 1980 to 1988 the two organ builders restored more than 30 organs including the organs of the Basilique Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame de Paris, the cathedral of Poitiers and Saint Sernin of Toulouse. They also reconstructed the historic organ of the Royale Chapel of Versailles. In 1998, Mr. Cattiaux settled in Liourdres (the departement of Corrèze), where he established the “Atelier Bertrand Cattiaux”. In this new workshop he built the organ of the Basilique Saint-Remi de Reims with his own team of atrisans. It followed the organs of Luneville, Sarlat and later Amilly which was inaugurated by Gustav Leonhardt. Within his workshop, Mr. Cattiaux is primarily responsible for the design and voicing of instruments, for which he has obtained an international reputation. Mr. Cattiaux is a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres an a Cheva- lier de l’Ordre National de Mérite. GEORGE BAKER won the American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Playing in 1970 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 Ander- son, 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 ma- jor 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! con- cert at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. On September 26, 2010, they received their European pre- miere in concert at St-Sulpice in Paris. In 2012, Dr. Baker joined the faculty of Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. As Lecturer in Organ Improvisation, he leads the development of both undergraduate and graduate students’ improvisatory skills. KEN COWAN is one of North America’s premiere concert organists. Praised for his dazzling artistry, impec- cable technique and imaginative programming by audiences and critics alike, he maintains a rigorous perform- ing schedule which takes him to major concert venues in America, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Recent feature performances have included appearances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa California, Philadelphia’s Verizon Hall, Spivey Hall, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as concerts in Germany and Korea. In addition, Mr. Cowan has been a featured artist in recent years at the national conven- tions of the American Guild of Organists held in Los Angeles and Minneapolis, has performed at many regional conventions of the AGO, and has been featured at several conventions of the Organ Historical Society and the Royal Canadian College of Organists.