Loriane LLORCA was born in the south western part of France in the Béarn region. She starts her musical studies at the local Conservatory in Pau with Jesus Martin Móro, first on the piano, later switching to the organ. At the Toulouse Conservatory she studies organ with Stéphane Bois, Michel Bouvard and Jan Willem Jansen (also teaching her harpsichord), while she pursues her training on the piano with Yasuko Uyama-Bouvard .

After 3 years of studies at the Sorbonne, Loriane Llorca graduates in general music theory (licence grade): the young artist is able to combine theoretical knowledge and practical performance, tradition and modern age, understanding them all as complementary elements which cannot be separated. Thus, she passionately dedicates her work to a broad and varied repertoire, always aiming to make the audience feel the immense musical richness of the organ.

In June 2015 she graduates with the organ prize, noted unanimously „very good“ with the jury’s congratulations.

In 2016 she pursues her organ studies at the National Conservatory in Paris with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard ; she is receiving scholarships from various foundations (e.g. from the Yves-Brieux – Foundation in Ustaritz ;  the Meyer-Foundation is awarding her the Tarazzi-Founds as well as  „l’Or du Rhin“  found, dedicated to classical music).

In 2017 she wins the Great Prize and the Public Prize at the international competition „Jean-Louis Florentz“ – held under the auspices of the Academy of Arts – Institut de France.

Loriane is giving recitals as a soloist, but she particularly enjoys accompanying soloist singers and instrumentalists (violin and flute), and is successfully playing with ensembles such as the Toulouse Orchestre du Capitole.

During the current academic year 2018-2019, while continuing her organ studies at the CNSM in Paris, Loriane has been appointed annual organist in residence at the Centre for Baroque Music in Versailles, playing as well basso continuo for its affiliated singing school.

SeoYoung CHOI was born 1993 in Busan (South Corea), she succeded her A-levels at the High School for fine Arts in Busan (2012) and studied organ from 2012 to 2016 at the Yonsei University in Seoul under the direction of Mrs. Dong Sun Kwak. During the 50^th edition of the Keimyoung organ competition she obtains the Great Prize, in the same year she also wins the 4^th Kookmin & YoungSan-Hall competition in South Corea; she has given several recitals throughout her country.

In 2016 she moves to France to study organ at the Regional Conservatory in Saint Maur-des-Fossés where she completed her 4^th postgrade improvement cycle in June 2017, unanimously noted ‘Very good’ by the jury, obtaining also the “André Monsaingeon” organ prize. She is admitted to continue her organ studies at the CNSMD in Paris in the master-class for interpretation under the direction of Michel Bouvard and Olivier Latry.

Since 2018 she studies harpsichord under the direction of Bibiane Lapointe at the Regional Conservatory in Boulogne-Billancourt.

Regularly she is giving recitals as a soloist in France an abroad, but she also plays with various ensembles.

SeoYoung CHOI is appointed organist at the parish Montparnasse-Plaisance since 2017, accompanying also the Allegretto-Plaisance Choir.

Born in 1984, Thibaut DURET took his first organ lessons at the Grenoble music school, as a pupil of Pierre Perdigon and Yves Lafargue, finishing this first part of his training with the DEM Diploma of Musical Studies in organ.

Switching to the regional conservatory in Rueil-Malmaison, he continues his organ studies with François-Henri Houbart: he is awarded the Excellence Prize and an attributed prize in perfection level.

Afterwards, he is unanimously admitted at the Lyon CNSM Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique to continue his studies with François Espinasse and Liesbeth Schlumberger, obtaining several diploma: the Professional Musician Higher Diploma (DNSPM: Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel de Musicien), a Master grade in organ marked “very good”, another master in pedagogic as well as the teaching license in organ in 2014.
In parallel, Thibaut Duret also studies improvisation with Loic Mallié, Gabriel Marghieri and Franck Vaudray.

In 2009, resulting from a competition, Thibaut DURET is appointed titular organist on the Great Organ of Chambéry cathedral. Since September 2014 he is teaching organ at the conservatory in Annecy (covering the Savoy region), but he is also the artistic director of the “organ friends’ music season” at Chambéry cathedral.

Thibaut Duret has already given concerts on instruments all over France: in Paris (Notre-Dame, La Madeleine), in Lyon (St. John primate church, Fourvière, St. Francis, Maurice-Ravel-Hall), in Auch, Annecy, Chambéry, Dôle, Dijon, Évian, Grenoble, Langres, Laon, in Le Grand Bornand, Limoges, Quimper, St. Antoine l’Abbaye, St. Étienne, St. Malo, Rueil Malmaison, Le Touquet, Valence…
He has performed recitals in Germany (Bensheim), Guyana, in Switzerland (Geneva Victoria-Hall and cathedral), in Luxembourg cathedral…

Thibault Duret has also been invited to play at festivals such as the Classic-Festival in Annecy, the Bach-Festivals in St. Donat and in Combrailles, and Bel Air Clavier Festival in Chambéry…

Furthermore, Thibaut Duret regularly plays with small ensembles, e.g. “strings & organ” (Quartet Adastra or the Annecy Pléiade Ensemble), in duos such as „Cello & Organ” (with Laure Hélène Michel), „Piano & Organ” (with Thibault Maignan)…

In 2017 he founded, with one of his friends, the CD-label Claviorganum, aiming to highlight special instruments by means of recordings.

Eberhard LAUER, born in 1956, is musical director at the Cathedral of St. Marien in Hamburg and professor for organ music at the Academy of Music in Lübeck, being engaged as organist, choir master and teacher.

He studied the organ and church music at the universities of Aachen, Düsseldorf and Amsterdam (under Almut Rößler, Albert de Klerk, and Xavier Darasse, among others), as well as musicology and philosophy in Hamburg.
He also studied French organ music in master-classes with Marie-Claire Alain, André Isoir, Xavier Darasse and others…

Eberhard Lauer was awarded First prizes at organ recital competitions in Nürnberg and Speyer. In addition to the emphasis placed on the organ repertoire of the 19th and 20th century (performance of the complete works for organ by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Franck, Messiaen, and large parts of the oeuvre by Liszt, Reger and Vierne), he is especially focussing on the works of J.S. Bach (several performances of the complete cycle of Bach’s work for organ). He is also interested in the art of improvisation.

He is giving concerts in his home country Germany and abroad, and recorded of organ recitals for radio, disc and television.

Discography: Bach, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Widor, Vierne, as well as the complete works by Messiaen.

Born in 1978 in Annecy, Brice Montagnoux studies organ, harmony, counterpoint and analysis at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon (CNSM) with Louis ROBILLIARD and Jean BOYER. There, he obtains the highest honors: National Diploma of Higher Studies of Music (2001), Certificat d’Aptitude (teaching licence of excellence) and a masters in pedagogy.

Winner of the International Organ Competition Xavier Darasse in Toulouse, he was awarded in 2004 the Jean-Louis FLORENTZ Organ Prize, by the French Academy of Fine Arts, leading to a prestigious career, both in France (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Rennes, Saint-Malo) and abroad (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland), performing regularly in festivals, as a soloist, but also with vocal and instrumental ensembles.

In contact with many historical instruments, Brice MONTAGNOUX develops a particular predilection for the European repertoires of the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as for the French organ school which spans from César Franck to Olivier Messiaen, whilst developing at the same time an interest for eclectic musical practices.

Sensitive musician, in permanent search for excellence and technical mastery, his interpretations convey a clear discourse, with mastery in styles, as well as balance in the registrations.

Interested in the evolution of his own instrument, as well as in the preservation of organological heritage, he is strongly involved with the communities in the creation of new instruments, and the conservation of the existing organs. Since 2017 he is artistic director of the Saint-Maximin organ festival “Organ in summer”.

Brice MONTAGNOUX is appointed organ professor in 2004 at the Regional Conservatory of Toulon (Provence, France). In 2012, he is appointed Director of Cefedem-Sud in Aix-en-Provence, where he dedicates himself to the training and support of young artists and teachers, in partnership with Aix Marseille University, the Grand Théâtre de Provence, the Festival International d’Art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence, and many other cultural actors.

Under his leadership, this institution obtains in 2016, by decision of the government, the label Pôle d’enseignement supérieur de la musique (Music School of Excellence) for a wide area that extends from Montpellier to Monaco.
Brice MONTAGNOUX continues today to lead this institution, now named Institut d’enseignement supérieur de la musique (IESM) Europe et Méditerranée.

Brice MONTAGNOUX is also titular organist of the great Isnard historical organs of the Basilica of the Royal Convent of Saint-Maximin la Sainte-Baume, an activity which he prolongs with the artistic direction of the festival “Orgue en été”, and teaching as organ professor at the Conservatory of the Provence Verte.

In July 2017, New Zealand-born organist Thomas GAYNOR was awarded the First Prize in Organ Interpretation and the Audience Prize at the St. Albans International Organ Competition – the 25th organist to receive this distinction since the competition and festival was founded in 1963. Not only is this International Festival and Competition one of the longest-running of its kind in the world, its rollcall of past winners includes many of the most influential pipe organists of our day.

In addition to claiming first prizes in the Third International Bach-Liszt Organ Competition in Erfurt/Weimar, Germany, the Sydney International Organ Competition, and the Fort Wayne National Organ Playing Competition, as well as being second prize winner in the Miami International Organ Competition and the 8 International Organ Competition Musashino-Toyko, Thomas Gaynor is rapidly making his mark on the organ scene in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. A student of David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, Thomas recently graduated with a master’s degree and the Performer’s Certificate. He is currently pursuing his D.M.A. degree there, and was awarded the highly coveted Artist’s Certificate – an honor the institution had not given an organist for nearly three decades.

Born in New Zealand, Thomas was Richard Prothero Organ Scholar at Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul for three years before being granted the title of Honorary Sub-Organist. His teachers included Douglas Mews for organ and harpsichord repertoire, Michael Fulcher for organ and church music, and Judith Clark for piano. He later held the Maxwell Fernie Scholarship at St. Mary of the Angels Church in Wellington. Presently, he is Assistant Director of Music at Christ Episcopal Church in Pittsford, NY.

Thomas has studied in masterclasses and workshops with many of this generation’s most influential organists, including Edoardo Bellotti, Michel Bouvard, Cameron Carpenter, James David Christie, Ken Cowan, Olivier Latry, Nathan Laube, Jean-Baptiste Robin, Jaques Van Oortmerssen, Stephen Tharp, Thomas Trotter, and Harald Vogel. He can be heard frequently in solo and collaborative recitals across the USA, as well as in Australasia. Recent projects include a complete performance of Bach’s Clavierübung III, Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical songs with baritone Jarrett Logan Porter, and a concert featuring Liszt’s ‘Ad Nos’ paired with a transcription of the first act of Meyerbeer’s Le Prophète, complete with soloists and chorus. In summer 2018, he gave performances in Ireland, England, Denmark France, Italy, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

Thomas released his first recording in 2014, made on the organ at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, New Zealand. Jamal Rossi, dean of the Eastman School of Music, picked this CD as one of five recordings that best represent the current Eastman School sound in an interview in the Rochester Review, the University of Rochester’s alumni magazine.

The organist Jean-Luc THELLIN comes from Liège ; today he is appointed organ teacher at Chartres’ music school (influence on the whole departement Eure-et-Loir)  ; he is also teaching organ at the music school in Melun, as well as harpsichord in Sens.

He has won several international competitions. But he decided not to get specialised in any particular field of music history; thus the public can hear him play ancient music and works from 20th century, than naturally switch to Johann Sebastian Bach and also play romantic works. For this reason he is invited to play at various types of festivals : the Spa ‘music autumn’, the International Festival in Roquevaire (France), Oiva (Poland), „Toulouse en orgue“, Alkmaar (Netherlands), Notre-Dame in Paris, the Liège Organ Festival…

He is particularly passionate about J.S. Bach’s organ works, César Franck and Maurice Duruflé; he performed his complete works some years ago…
His most important aim is to make discover to his audience the works of J.S. Bach from the most different points of view.

The second important point for him is improvisation : in his recitals as well as during the services, Jean-Luc Thellin is attributing an important part to improvisation, allowing him to gather the parish members, other auditors and the organist himself in a special atmosphere perceptible for everyone and thus creating a sort of communication  while taking into account the present emotions. For this feature, he has taken advice from our times best improvisers, Firmin Decerf und Thierry Escaich, learning from their experience and putting new impulses into practice.

In December 2007, at the commemoration of Louis Vierne’s 70th date of death he paid, in Notre-Dame in Paris, a profound tribute to the composer and organist, improvising in the master’s style the final movement of a symphony.

In 2010, as a result of a previous competition, Jean-Luc Thellin, was appointed main organist on the Stolz-Organ in Notre-Dame Church in Vincennes.

In 2018 he started working on a new recording of Bach’s complete organ works.

After completing his musical studies at the conservatories in Nantes and Angers, and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, Michel Bourcier has maintained a wide variety of activities ranging from interpretation, liturgical accompaniment and promotion of contemporary music to musical analysis and pedagogy.

He teaches organ at the Conservatoire de Nantes and, since 2007, is the organist of the Nantes Cathedral.

Michel Bourcier performs regularly as a soloist on France’s most famous organs and also particularly appreciates accompanying choirs and smaller vocal or instrumental groups. He has been invited as guest soloist by the Orchestre National des Pays de Loire, the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, the choir of Radio France, baroque ensemble Stradivaria and vocal ensemble Les Eléments of Toulouse, among others.

Though interested and active in all repertoires, his curiosity towards today’s music has led him to work with many contemporary composers. He has played or given first performances of works by Jacques Lenot, Christophe Looten and Valéry Aubertin, whose organ works he first recorded in collaboration with Peter Farago, Marie-Ange Leurant and Éric Le Brun, to critical acclaim. A long-standing association with Jean-Louis Florentz, (d. 2004), led to him giving first performances of Laudes and Standing on the sun (dedicated to him). A detailed study of this composer’s organ works by Michel Bourcier (Jean-Louis Florentz and the organ) is soon to be published. Internationally recognised as a major expert on this repertoire, he is regularly consulted by organists and conservatories for advice on its performance.

In addition to his career as an organist, Michel Bourcier is conductor and founding member of Ensemble Utopik, an instrumental collective created in 2004 to perform and promote twentieth and twenty-first century repertoire. With them, he has conducted works by Pierre Boulez, György Ligeti, Schoenberg, Gustav Mahler, Michaël Levinas, Philippe Leroux, Betsy Jolas, Alexandros Markéas, Edith Canat de Chizy, Martin Matalon, Kaija Saariaho, Tristan Murail, Philippe Hurel, Lionel Bord, Gilbert Amy, Pacal Dusapin, Gérard Pesson…