Ben van Oosten | |
---|---|
Birth name | Bernardus Franciscus van Oosten |
Born | 1955 (age 68–69) The Hague, Netherlands |
Genres | Classical |
Occupation(s) | Organist, pedagogue, author |
Instrument | Pipe organ |
Bernardus Franciscus van Oosten (born 8 April 1955) is a Dutch organist, pedagogue and author. He is titular organist of the Grote Kerk in his hometown of The Hague and is an organ professor at Rotterdam Conservatoire.
Ben van Oosten, as he is professionally known, was born in The Hague in 1955. He gave his first organ recital in 1970 at the age of 15. He was accepted at the prestigious Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam [1] and studied the organ with Albert de Klerk and piano with Berthe Davelaar. He graduated cum laude in 1979 with a diploma in organ solo.
He completed advanced studies in Paris, France, with André Isoir and Daniel Roth. Whether by geographical influence or artistic choice, he gravitated toward the French Romantic Organ school of the 19th century that had its origins in the new symphonic organs of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Van Oosten subsequently became one of the greatest practitioners and interpreters of organ works from that era. Among his recordings are the complete works of Charles-Marie Widor, [2] of Louis Vierne, and of Marcel Dupré, as well as the eight sonatas of Alexandre Guilmant and organ works of Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens and Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély.
Besides maintaining a heavy recital schedule and an active private teaching practice, he serves as organist for the Grote Kerk (The Hague) [3] and is a professor of music at the Rotterdam Conservatory. [4]
Among the honors and awards he has received are the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the Diapason d'Or . In 1998, the French government awarded him the honorary rank of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his efforts in reviving the French Romantic tradition.
van Oosten is also known for possessing a 16-stop 3-manual residence organ by the Dutch organbuilders Van den Heuvel.
Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor was a French organist, composer and teacher of the late Romantic era. As a composer he is known for his ten organ symphonies, especially the toccata of his fifth organ symphony, which is frequently played as recessional music at weddings and other celebrations.
Louis Victor Jules Vierne was a French organist and composer. As the organist of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1900 until his death, he focused on organ music, including six organ symphonies and a Messe solennelle for choir and two organs. He toured Europe and the United States as a concert organist. His students included Nadia Boulanger and Maurice Duruflé.
Marcel Jean-Jules Dupré was a French organist, composer, and pedagogue.
César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in present-day Belgium.
The organ repertoire is considered to be the largest and oldest repertory of all musical instruments. Because of the organ's prominence in worship in Western Europe from the Middle Ages on, a significant portion of organ repertoire is sacred in nature. The organ's suitability for improvisation by a single performer is well adapted to this liturgical role and has allowed many blind organists to achieve fame; it also accounts for the relatively late emergence of written compositions for the instrument in the Renaissance. Although instruments are still disallowed in most Eastern churches, organs have found their way into a few synagogues as well as secular venues where organ recitals take place.
David John Sanger was a British concert organist, professor and president of the Royal College of Organists.
Todd Wilson is an American organist and teacher based in Ohio.
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of La Trinité from 1871 until 1901. A noted pedagogue, performer, and improviser, Guilmant helped found the Schola Cantorum de Paris. He was appointed as Professor of Organ in the Conservatoire de Paris in 1896.
Jacques-Nicolas (Jaak-Nicolaas) Lemmens, was an organist, music teacher, and composer for his instrument.
Michael Murray is an American-born organist and writer.
Käte van Tricht, was a German organist, pianist, harpsichordist, and pedagogue.
Jeremy Daniell Filsell is an English pianist, organist and composer who currently serves as director of music at Saint Thomas Church, New York City.
Christine Kamp is a Dutch organist & pianist.
Christopher Mark Houlihan is an American concert organist noted for his clarity, flexibility of rhythm, and technical achievement. His Vierne 2012 tour in which he performed Louis Vierne's complete organ symphonies in six cities across North America was met with critical acclaim.
Ignace Michiels is a Belgian organist, choral conductor and organ teacher. He is internationally known as a concert organist.
Stephen J. Tharp is an American organist and composer.
Odile Marie-Pascale Pierre was a French organist, composer and academic teacher. She was the organist at La Madeleine, Paris, and taught organ and improvisation at the Conservatoire de Paris. The last student of Marcel Dupré, she played around 2,000 recitals internationally and made recordings.
Charles Henry Galloway was a St. Louis, Missouri church and concert organist, choral conductor, educator, and composer.
The Organ Symphony No. 3 in F-sharp minor, Op. 28, is an organ symphony by Louis Vierne. He composed it in 1911, and it was first performed in March 1912. It was first published by Éditions Durand the same year. It has been described as the most inspired and best structured of his six organ symphonies.
The Organ of the Trocadero Palace was built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll for the 1878 Universal Exhibition at the Palais du Trocadéro in Paris. The organ was transferred to the Palais de Chaillot in 1937, before moving to the Auditorium Maurice-Ravel in Lyon in 1977.