Stephen THARP (New York), President
Stephen Tharp is a Grammy-nominated concert organist based in New York City. Having undertaken more than 70 tours worldwide, Stephen Tharp has built a well-respected international career in famous cathedrals and concert venues of the world.
Stephen Tharp remains an important champion of new organ music, and continues to commission and premiere numerous compositions for the instrument. Composers who have subsequently dedicated works to him include George Baker, David Briggs, Samuel Adler, Thierry Escaich, Philip Moore and Anthony Newman.
As an active NYC chamber musician he has performed with artists such as Thomas Hampson, Itzhak Perlman, Jennifer Larmore, the St. Thomas Choir (John Scott, conductor), and at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Among his 16 solo organ recordings, his commercial release The Complete Organ Works of Jeanne Demessieux recorded at the organs of St. Martin’s in Dudelange and Saint-Ouen in Rouen on Aeolus Recordings, received the 2009 Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, as well as the French 5 Diapason award. The release was celebrated in October 2010 with Mr.Tharp’s performance of the complete Demessieux works live over three concerts at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
www.stephentharp.com

Loreto ARAMENDI (San Sebastian)
Loreto Aramendi is an international concertist and main organist of the Cavaillé-Coll organ (1863) of the Basilica Santa Maria del Coro in San Sebastian. She has published three double CD recorded on the organs of the Basilique of Santa Maria del Coro, Saint-Ouen in Rouen and the cathedral of Salamanca and Saintanyi (Mallorca). As concertist, prestigious venues have been Opera City Hall Tokyo, Auditorio Nacional Madrid, Notre-Dame de Paris, St. Patrick’s Cathedral New York, Stavanger Auditorium, Maison de la Radio in Paris, Westminster Cathedral a.o. She has been jury member in international organ competitions as well as teacher in master classes. She is actually teaching organ at the Conservatoy F. Escudero in San Sebastian.
www.loretoaramendi.com

Winfrid BÖNIG (Cologne)
Since 2001, Winfried Bönig is main organist of Cologne cathedral and since 1998, professor for organ and improvisation at High School for Music in Cologne. After his studies since 1978 in the class of Franz Lehrndorfer at Music High Scxhool in Munich, he started his career as organist at St. Joseph’s church in Memmingen, where he has been from 1984 to 1998 main organist of the first great organ buld by Jann. He has premiered many works dedicated to him by composers like Enjott Schneider, Jean Guillou, Naji Hakim, Stephen Tharp, Daniel Roth. As organist and conductor, he has recorded a large numbers of CDs. Among them the recordings at the organs of Cologne Cathedral have been highly acclaimed.

Paul BREISCH (Luxembourg)
Seven Premiers Prix at Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Paris (classes of Michel Bouvard, Olivier Latry, Thierry Escaich and Loïc Mallié) and in 1999 laureate of Concours International d'Orgue "André Marchal" de la Ville de Biarritz. Since 2003 he is Professor for organ at the Conservatoire de Musique de la Ville d'Esch-sur-Alzette and in 2006 successor of Carlo Hommel as titular organist of both organs (classical Westenfelder and symphonic Haupt- Rieger) of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg.