Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara

Successive Generations Resident Organist

24th William Fielding

Term:September 2023 to August 2024

Born in Blackburn, UK in 1999. William Fielding is a former chorister at the local cathedral. William spent three years at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh, then two years studying the organ and the piano at the Royal College of Music. In 2020, William decided to study abroad in Toulouse, France to study with Michel Bouvard, and then with Yoann Tardivel, and improvisation with Philippe Lefevre. On receiving the "mention tres bien a l'unanimite du jury et les felicitations” for his final recital in Toulouse, William continued his studies with Olivier Latry and Thomas Ospital at the conservatoire superieur in Paris.

William engaged in weekly performances with the Chapel Royal of the King of England, Hampton Court Palace and later on with the Maitrise de Toulouse. From 2021, William has been the organist of the choir organ at St Sernin, where he has the chance to play on the great Cavaille-Coll organ there. Alongside his studies, William enjoys the chance to perform internationally, having performed in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Spain and Switzerland, and looks forward to discovering more. William has closely collaborated with Mark Opstad and the Maitrise of the Toulouse conservatoire, with whom he has recorded a CD including Maurice Durufle's requiem.

23rd Yanis Dubois

Term:September 2022 to August 2023

Born in France in 1993. Yanis Dubois began his organ studies with Anne Dumontet at the Conservatoire de Lisieux. From 2009, he studied with Erwan Le Prado and Saki Aoki at the Conservatoire de Caen. He then deepened his knowledge of composition, improvisation, basso continuo and other musical techniques. In June 2018, Dubois earned bachelor’s degrees with high honors in organ from the Conservatoire de Caen and in musicology from Sorbonne University. He continued his studies with Francois Espinasse and Liesbeth Schlumberger at the Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse and completed a master’s degree program in 2020.
Since September 2017, Dubois has served as principal organist at the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre de Lisieux, which owns a Cavaille-Coll organ.
Dubois participated in master classes instructed by Olivier Houette, Francois Espinasse, Thierry Escaich, Michel Chapuis, Wolfgang Zerer, Hans Davidsson, Bine Katrine Bryndorf, Andres Cea Galan, and Martin Sander. He also studied with Martin Schmeding at the University of Music and Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig.
In 2015, Dubois won third prize at the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition as well as received the Johann Sebastian Bach Prize. In 2016, he won second prize at the Pierre de Manchicourt International Organ Competition. In 2019, he won second prize at the Jean-Louis Florentz International Organ Competition, and third prize and the prize for the best performance of a new work at the Olivier Messiaen International Organ Competition.

22nd Nicola Procaccini

Term:October 2021 to August 2022

Born in Sant’Elpidio a Mare, Italy, in 1995. Nicola Procaccini majored in harpsichord at the Conservatory of Music Giovanni Battista Pergolesi of Fermo and received a bachelor’s degree with full marks and highest honors in 2015. That same year, he enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre (HfMT) to study the organ with Wolfgang Zerer. He won second prize in the Fifth Agati-Toronci International Organ Competition in 2017 and was awarded first prize in the Fifth Buxtehude International Organ Competition held in Lubeck in 2018. Procaccini graduated from HfMT in 2019 with full marks and distinction. He then went on to study the organ with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard in 2020 in a master’s degree course at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.
Procaccini has performed in numerous recitals held at venues such as Stralsund St. Marien Church, Hamburg St. Jakobi Church and Lubeck St. Jakobi Church in Germany, Santissimo Corpo di Cristo Church and the Trento International Organ Festival in Italy, and the Boston Early Music Festival. He has also frequently appeared and performed with prestigious artists from around the world at events including the Resonanzen Festival held at Wien Konzerthaus in Vienna and the International Early Music Festival in Urbino. He is active not only as an organist but also as a harpsichord and basso continuo player. In addition, Procaccini is involved in an initiative for rediscovery and reappraisal of composers from the Marche region, Italy, from which he hails.

21st Adam Tabajdi

Term:September 2019 to August 2020

Born in Debrecen, Hungary, in 1993. Adam Tabajdi became familiarized with the piano from early childhood and enrolled at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music to study the organ with Balazs Szabo, Istvan Ruppert, Janos Palur and Laszlo Fassang in 2011. During his school years, he visited France and Germany to learn about historical organs and completed bachelor’s and master’s programs. From 2016, he studied with Olivier Latry, Michel Bouvard and Louis Robilliard at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP). He also learned improvisation from Fassang Laszlo and Thierry Escaich as well as harpsichord and basso continuo from Pierre Cazes and Thierry Maeder. While studying at CNSMDP, Tabajdi performed numerous concerts at venues including the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles, Church of Saint-Severin, Church of Saint-Jean Bosco, Notre-Dame de Paris and Chartres Cathedral.
Tabajdi participated in master classes by prestigious organists, including Wolfgang Zerer, Cristoph Bossert, Zsigmond Szathmary, David Higgs, Hans-Ola Ericcson and Ton Koopman. He was awarded scholarships from the Fondation de France and Fondation Tarazzi (France) as well as selected as a Fisher Annie music scholar (Hungary). He was also chosen to be the first organist trainee of Notre-Dame de Paris and trained there from 2017 to 2018.
A CD that includes transcriptions of symphonic poems as well as an arrangement of Bela Bartok’s Dance Suite by Tabajdi himself was released from Sapporo Concert Hall “Kitara” in 2020. After returning home, he won first prize and the audience prize at the 13th Toulouse International Organ Competition in 2021.
He is currently a doctoral student at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest.

• Adam Tabajdi Website

Message to Sapporo citizens

I keep very kind memories from my 12 months as a resident organist in Sapporo. I am really grateful for life to be able the have an opportunity to get an insight to this wonderful country and it’s society. Definitely it was a life changing experience for me, strongly in a positive way. Thank you for this for the colleagues of the Kitara and the people of Sapporo.

20th Simon Bollenot

Term:September 2018 to August 2019

Born in France in 1992. After studying the organ, basso continuo, improvisation and other techniques with Francis Jacob, Philippe Lefebvre, Daniel Maurer and others at the Strasbourg Conservatory, Simon Bollenot went to Austria to study in the postgraduate course (cycle de perfectionnement) at Anton Bruckner Private University. He also studied with Francois Espinasse, Liesbeth Schlumberger and others at the Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse. In 2017, he was awarded a scholarship from Societe Generale for his diploma thesis on contemporary French composer Jean-Louis Florentz.
Bollenot participated in master classes by prominent French organists including Louis Robilliard, Michel Bouvard and Yves Lafargue. He earned a master’s degree in organ performance with highest honors from Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse in 2018.
During his school years, he performed solo recitals at churches in different regions across France as well as performed with French orchestras and choirs. From 2015, he served as principal organist at Annunciation Church in Lyon, France. He has also participated in a talk event at the Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier and has been actively involved in activities to promote modern music, including collaborations with contemporary French composers such as Jean-Pierre Leguay and Gilbert Amy.

19th Martin Gregorius

Term:September 2017 to August 2018

Born in Poland in 1991. Martin Gregorius studied organ, improvisation, music theory, composition and church music at the Stanislaw Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk, Detmold University of Music, Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse under Michel Bouvard, Thierry Escaich, Francois Espinasse, Fassang Laszlo, Olivier Latry and others. He received a doctoral degree in organ performance from the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan in 2017.
As a concert organist, Gregorius performs regularly at international organ festivals in Europe, the United States and Asia. He has given numerous recitals at major venues, including cathedrals in Erfurt, Luxemburg, Magdeburg, Mainz, Munich and Paderborn, Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, and Polish Baltic Philharmonic in Gdansk.
He won first prize at the International Organ Improvisation Competition in Schlagl as well as first prize and the audience prize at the Westfalen Impro 6 in 2016. In addition, he has been highly recognized for his performances at competitions in Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland and other European countries. Moreover, he has been awarded scholarships from various organizations, including the Prime Minister of Poland, the Polish Ministry of Culture, the Alfred Toepfer Foundation (Germany), and the artNoble Prize.
After returning to Europe, from 2018 to 2021, he served as director of music and organist at St. Pancras Church in Gutersloh. He was appointed Associate Professor in organ and improvisation at the Regensburg University of Music in 2020 and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in 2023. Gregorius serves also as director of music and organist at the Basilica of St. James in Straubing since November 2021.

Message to Sapporo citizens

Dear Citizens of Sapporo, It has been already many years since my appointment as Kitara Organist. Even if time passes quickly, I still have lots of vivid memories of my stay in Sapporo. I was very much enjoying meeting lots of nice and interesting people in this beautiful city and learning about rich Japanese culture and traditions. I hope that I will come back soon to meet you again and play one more time for you!

18th Davide Mariano

Term:September 2016 to August 2017

Born in Italy in 1988. Davide Mariano studied the organ at the Lorenzo Perosi State Conservatory of Music under Francesco Di Lernia and completed it with honors. He studied the organ with Martin Haselbock and the harpsichord with Gordon Murray at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and earned a master’s degree in each musical instrument. He completed the courses with an honorary award as one of the most outstanding students in 2014. In 2015, he enrolled in the post-master’s artist diploma course at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris as one of the first batches of students. He studied with Michel Bouvard, Olivier Latry and Louis Robilliard, and earned a Diplome d’Artiste Interprete (DAI) in organ in 2016. His repertoire is broad, covering works from the Renaissance to those of modern times.
Mariano has given concerts in countries in Europe, the United States and Asia, including venues such as the Great Hall of the Musikverein, the National Music Auditorium in Madrid, and the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles, as well as performed in music festivals in European countries. He also performs with the Vienna Academy Orchestra and various other orchestras. He has achieved excellent results in competitions in different countries, including first prize at the International Organ Playing Competition of Fano Adriano in 2008, and second prize and the Peter Hurford Buch prize at the St Albans International Organ Competition in 2015.

• Davide Mariano Website

17th John Walthausen

Term:September 2015 to August 2016

Born in New York in 1991. John Walthausen studied the organ and harpsichord at Oberlin College and was inducted as a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the national honor society for musicians in the United States upon obtaining his bachelor’s degree. He enrolled at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in 2011 to study the organ with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard. After earning his master’s degree with highest honors (mention tres bien) in 2013, Walthausen moved on to study early music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. He studied the organ with Lorenzo Ghielmi and the harpsichord with Jorg-Andreas Botticher.
Walthausen has performed recitals in cities in the United States and Europe. He was awarded first prize at the Regional Competition for Young Organists hosted by the American Guild of Organists as well as at the Pierre de Manchicourt International Organ Competition.
Walthausen served as the resident organist of Sapporo Concert Hall from 2015 to 2016. He not only performed and recorded on the hall’s four-manual organ by Alfred Kern but also gave concerts across Japan. In 2016, his debut CD, De Fil en Aiguille, was released from Sapporo Concert Hall.
In recent years, he has performed in New York, Boson, Washington D.C., New Orleans, Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), Cincinnati, Bogota (Colombia) and other places. He has also appeared at the East Texas Pipe Organ Festival, Pacific Baroque Festival, Festival Paris des Orgues, Toulouse les Orgues, Toul Bach Festival and Internationale Meisterorganisten in Innsbruck.
Walthausen is a sought-after collaborative artist and has recently performed in ensembles as a basso continuo player with the Washington Bach Consort, New York Baroque, Barock Band, Mountainside Baroque, Variant 6, and others. In 2019, he formed an ensemble named Filament with baroque violinist Evan Few and viola da gamba player Elena Smith. They recorded Dietrich Buxtehude’s Sonatas Opus 1 in 2022 for their debut album expected to be released in 2023.
In addition to playing in concerts, he currently serves as musical director at the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• John Walthausen Website

16th Octavian Saunier

Term:September 2013 to August 2014

Born in Romania and raised in France, Octavian Saunier began playing the piano at the age of five. He enrolled in an organ class at a music school in La Rochelle at the age of ten and obtained music study certificates (CEM) in organ and formation musicale (basic music training: new solfege in France). He enrolled at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Toulouse to study with Professor Michel Bouvard in 2004 and earned a diploma in organ. In 2006, he was accepted into the organ classes by Francois Espinasse and Liesbeth Schlumberger at Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse with the unanimous approval of the admissions committee. He completed the second cycle program (research on organ arrangements in the 20th century) in 2011.
Saunier has performed not only solo but also with choirs, chamber ensembles or orchestras. He partners with pianist Dimitri Papadopoulos as a piano-organ or piano-harmonium duo and performs various programs. Saunier and Papadopoulos were invited by the Lyon National Orchestra to perform Janáček’s Taras Bulba, Bartok’s The Miraculous Mandarin and others in 2012 and 2013. Saunier joined the world premiere of the opera Claude composed by Thierry Escaich at Opera de Lyon. He serves as accompanist for the choir of Lyon Catholic University and the mixed chorus of Cathedrale Saint-Jean and performs concerts at venues including St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He is also passionately involved in educational activities and teaches the piano and formation musicale at music schools in Lyon and Meximieux in France.

15th Maria Magdalena Kaczor

Term:September 2012 to August 2013

Maria Magdalena Kaczor of Poland studied the piano, conducting, chamber music and the organ at Mieczysław Karłowicz Music School and the piano and music education at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music, and achieved excellent results in both schools.
She furthered her studies in the organ class by Francoise Dornier at the Gabriel Faure Conservatory of Music in France from 2005 and earned an organ diploma from Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Paris in 2008. That same year, she enrolled in the organ classes by Francois Espinasse and Liesbeth Schlumberger at Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse (Lyon CNSMD), and graduated from the school with honors in June 2012. During her studies at Lyon CNSMD, she also studied with Pieter van Dijk and Wolfgang Zerer at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre.
In 2007, Kaczor was a finalist at the Andre Marchal International Organ Competition and was awarded the Special Jury Prize.
In 2011, she won second prize at the Hermann Schrader International Organ Competition, where there was no first prize winner. She actively participates in numerous master classes and summer academies while appearing regularly at music festivals in Poland, France, Lithuania and Italy.
After leaving Sapporo, Kaczor recorded with Mayumi Ohira of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra for CD production at a church in Dudelange, Luxembourg, in the spring of 2014.

• Maria Magdalena Kaczor Website

14th Florent Galliere

Term:September 2011 to August 2012

Born in France. Florent Galliere of France studied with Michel Bourcier, Louis Robilliard, Francois Espinasse, Liesbeth Schlumberger and Bernard Foccroulle, and graduated from Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse.
He currently teaches the organ at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Saint-Etienne and Conservatoire de Saint-Chamond. Moreover, as the president of st Etienne ses Orgues, he is also active in promoting the organ in the Saint-Etienne metropolitan area.
Galliere became the 14th resident organist of Sapporo Concert Hall in September 2011 and performed in Sapporo, Kyoto, and Tokyo. He currently performs across France, including cities such as Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, Moulins and Lucon, as well as in European countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Lithuania.
In September 2022, he assumed the position of titular organist of the Le Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, which is the oldest Marian sanctuary in France.

13th Coralie Amedjkane

Term:September 2010 to April 2011

Born in France in 1988. Coralie Amedjkane began playing the piano at the age of six and the organ at the age of twelve.
She studied with Marie-Louise Langlais at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Paris. She entered the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) in 2007 to study with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard. She participated in the master classes by Ton Koopman and Jesus Martin-Moro in 2008 and 2009, respectively. She earned a bachelor’s degree in organ from CNSMDP in 2010 with honors.
From 2009, Amedjkane served as resident organist at the Saint-Nicolas-Saint-Marc Church in Avray near Paris as well as accompanist for the Francilian Boys Choir.
She has played historical organs in numerous concerts held at venues such as Notre-Dame de Paris and Sainte-Trinite Church. She also regularly performs chamber music duo concerts with a trumpet player. Amedjkane works on various organ pieces ranging from the 17th century to modern times while she is deeply interested in different forms of musical instruments. She is also active in educational activities, giving organ and piano private lessons at the Church of Sainte-Marie des Batignolles in Paris and other venues.
She returned to France in April 2011 due to circumstances following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

• Coralie Amedjkane Website

12th Laurent - Cyprien Giraud

Term:September 2009 to August 2010

Born in France in 1982. Laurent-Cyprien Giraud studied the organ and composition of electro-acoustic music at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Nice while serving as organist at the Church of Saint-Pierre D’arene in Nice. In 2005, he studied under Francois Espinasse and Liesbeth Schlumberger at the Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de danse. The same year, he held an introductory workshop on electro-acoustic music at the International Center for Music Research in Nice, and was also involved in educational activities. In 2008, he participated in Olivier Latry's master class.
Giraud has performed in numerous concerts held at churches and other venues in France, including performance collaborations with Ensemble 2e2m and the Lille National Orchestra at the Festival Presences de Radio France, while serving as an organist at the Cathedrale Saint Jean Baptiste de Lyon since 2006.
He is currently active as a resident organist at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice. In 2012, he established a ceremonial organ school in the Diocese of Nice where he serves as a lecturer. In addition, he has had a weekly organ program at the RCF Nice Cote d’Azur radio station for eight years.

• Laurent - Cyprien Giraud Website

11th Cindy Castillo

Term:September 2008 to August 2009

Cindy Castillo of Belgium began her organ studies with Belgian composer Benoit Mernier at the age of 12.
She won first prize in the organ division at the National Axion Classics 2000 Competition in Belgium in 2000. She enrolled at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and received a Premier Prix in the organ class by organist and musicologist Jean Ferrard.
Castillo studied with Christophe Mantoux at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Strasbourg and obtained a professional diploma in organ with the unanimous approval of the review committee in 2005. She earned a master's degree with highest honors from the Institut Superieur de Musique et de Pedagogie de Namur in Belgium in 2006. She then studied with Michel Bouvard and Olivier Latry in the advanced organ diploma course at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.
Cindy Castillo involves in organ education with the research project "OrgueStudio" in IMEP (Institut Royal de Musique et de Pedagogie de Namur) and is also serving as a curator of organs at Saint-Loup church in Namur.
Her latest collection of recordings are devoted to Belgian composers such as Cesar Franck, Joseph Jongen, Jean-Pierre Deleuze and Pierre Slinckx.

• Cindy Castillo Website

Message to Sapporo citizens

The year spent in Sapporo is one of the most beautiful moments of my life. Sharing together music and emotions around the great organ of the beautiful concert hall of Kitara is a source of happiness. Thank you for this inspiration.

10th Sylvain Heili

Term:September 2007 to August 2008

Born in France. Sylvain Heili studied the piano with Thierry Colas and Francoise Bellefleur. He furthered his studies with Jean-Michel Dayez at the Conservatory of Lille.
In 1989, he began the organ at the Reims Conservatory in the class of Olivier Latry, then Jean-Philippe Fetzer with whom he obtained a gold medal in 1994. Within the following two years, he earned a bachelor’s degree with highest honors and obtained a superior degree in the class of Pierre Mea. In 1997, he entered the Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse and studied in classes by Jean Boyer and Liesbeth Schlumberger for three years before he obtained a National Diploma of Higher Musical Studies (DNESM) in 2000.
In August 2007, he was appointed resident organist of Sapporo Concert Hall “Kitara.” He not only engaged in teaching the organ but also gave recitals in various halls and performed with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo during his one-year term.
After returning home, he won second prize for interpretation at the Lyon International Organ Competition in April 2009. He currently holds an organist position at Saint-Leger Church in Lens after having served as an organist at Reims Cathedral.
Heili has produced three CDs: one from Sapporo Concert Hall “Kitara,” and two from the Hortus label as part of The Musicians and the Great War collection.
He is now an organ instructor and piano accompanist for the ballet class at Regional Conservatoire of Douai.
Heili has not only been invited regularly by the Lille National Orchestra to play as an additional musician but also performed in organ concerts throughout France, including the concert at Notre-Dame de Paris in 2016, as well as in other countries across the world such as Germany, Belgium, and Japan.

Message to Sapporo citizens

My year in Japan was the greatest adventure of my life, both from a human and a musical point of view.
I very often think back to the beautiful hall of Kitara and its magnificent organ and I would be very happy to play there again one day.
I hope that the public will continue to come in large numbers to listen to the concerts!
I still remember their incredibly warm welcome.

9th Ghislain Leroy

Term:September 2006 to August 2007

Ghislain Leroy of France studied the piano, organ and musical notation during his secondary school education.
He studied with Francois-Henri Houbart at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Reigional de Rueil-Malmaison from 2001 to 2003 and graduated at the top of his classes.
He received the harmony award from Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in 2004 when he studied under Jean-Francois Zygel. At Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse, he studied under Jean Boyer, Liesbeth Schlumberger, Louis Robilliard and Francois Espinasse.
Leroy won Grand Prix at the 5th International Organ Competition hosted by the city of Paris. This award sent him to the international stage at the age of 22. He has regularly appeared in concerts held at major churches in France and has also been invited to perform in a number of large festivals in Europe and Russia.
As a long-term resident at the Sapporo Concert Hall (Japan), he is both a concertist and a teacher, performing at numerous concerts in Tokyo (Suntory Hall; Opera city; Metropolitan Art Space), Osaka, Nagoya and Kanazawa.
From 2016 to 2019, he teaches at the Royal Conservatory, Brussels, Belgium, as an assistant to the organ class in association with Bernard Foccroulle.
In 2022, he take the direction of the Conservatoire a rayonnement regional d’Amiens Metropole.
He has also tenure of the monumental great organ of Notre Dame de la Treille Cathedral in Lille (101 stops), reconstructed by orgelbau Klais in 2007.
He has an extensive repertoire of pieces from the 17th century to today and works to promote modern organ pieces.

• Ghislain Leroy Website

8th Jens Korndorfer

Term:September 2005 to August 2006

Born in Germany. Jens Korndorfer began his organ studies at the age of 14.
He began his studies at the Musikhochschule in Bayreuth in 1999, where he graduated with highest honors in 2004.
He studied organ interpretation with Michel Bouvard and Olivier Latry in the organ department at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris from 2002 to 2007, where he graduated with highest honors. From 2007 to 2009 he studied at the Oberlin Conservatory (Artist Diploma), and from 2009 to 2012 at McGill University in Montreal (Doctor of Music).
From 2012 to 2023 he was Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.
Korndorfer has performed at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, the Montreal Bach Festival, cathedrals in Washington, Berlin, Paris, Salzburg, Oslo and Moscow, Westminster Abbey in London, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
He is also enthusiastic about fostering the next generation of organists. After his first teaching position at Agnes Scott College (2014-2019), he has led the reorganization of the organ program at Georgia State University since 2017. He Has been appointed as an associate professor in the organ department at Baylor University in August 2023.

• Jens Korndorfer Website

Message to Sapporo citizens

I keep great memories of my fantastic year in Sapporo, the beautiful organ & concert hall, the wonderful people, the delicious food, etc... Thanks for being so welcoming and providing such an amazing opportunity for young organists!

7th Matthieu Magnuszewski

Term:September 2004 to August 2005

Matthieu Magnuszewski of France studied in Francois Bocquelet’s organ class at the Ecole de Musique de Saint-Omer and graduated from the school with a gold medal awarded with the unanimous approval of the review committee. He entered Pierre Mea’s class at Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Reims where he obtained a gold medal and second place in the music department.
He enrolled at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) to study in organ classes by Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard. He was a finalist at the Saint-Germain-des-Fosses Competition and Angers Art Academy Grand Prix.
In 2002, Magnuszewski was appointed as one of the resident organists of the grand organ at Notre-Dame des Vertus Church in Aubervilliers.
After returning to France, he furthered his studies in teaching and other fields at CNSMDP.

6th Jean - Philippe Merckaert

Term:September 2003 to August 2004

Born in 1980 in Belgium. Jean-Philippe Merckaert began his musical studies in Mons, Belgium. He studied with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and graduated from the school with a Premier Prix in 2005. In Belgium, he studied the organ with Jean Ferrard at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and earned his master’s degree in 2008 after he obtained a master’s degree in classical composition from the Royal Conservatory of Mons in 2007.
Merckaert won second prize at the Gottfried Silbermann Organ Competition in Freiberg in 2007 and in the organ division of the International Competition Musica Antiqua Bruges in 2009.
Starting in 2003, he spent one year in Sapporo as a resident organist of Kitara. He is now based in Tokyo and frequently appears in concerts performing as a soloist or with orchestras. He took an organist position at the MUSE Tokorozawa Civic Cultural Center from 2001 to 2014. He currently holds positions as an organist at Nasunogahara Harmony Hall, lecturer at the St. Gregory House Institute for Religious Music, and organ instructor at the Katakura Church of Christ. He has also taken up an organist position at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre since April 2023.
Merckaert has also focused on arranging orchestral pieces in recent years and performed them at various concerts in Belgium, Japan and other countries and regions (France, Germany, Russia, Hong Kong and more), winning global recognition. He has released several CDs: Johann Sebastian Bach Chorals de l'Autographe de Leipzig (two CDs; Switzerland), Franck Debussy Saint-Saens Transcriptions pour Orgue (Paris), and Charles-Marie Widor: Organ Symphony No. 5 (Nasunogahara Harmony Hall).

5th Monica Melcova

Term:September 2002 to August 2003

Born in Slovakia. Monica Melcova earned a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under the instruction of Michael Radulescu after graduating from the State Conservatory Košice. She studied with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard in the postgraduate organ course (cycle de perfectionnement) at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP).
Melcova performed with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tadaaki Otaka at the Pacific Music Festival in 2003. After leaving Sapporo, she became active in performing in European countries and teaching music at conservatories and other institutions in Paris, San Sebastian, and Madrid. She has also served as a guest professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen since 2020.
Since 2020, she has served as an artistic director for the Orava Organ Prix, an international organ competition held in Slovakia, while teaching international master classes at Schola Arvenzis.
In 2021, she participated in the filming of the French-German movie Chercheurs d’orgues produced by ARTE.

• Monica Melcova Website

4th Juan Maria Pedrero

Term:September 2001 to August 2002

Born in 1974 in Zamora, Spain. Juan Maria Pedrero graduated from the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona where he studied with Josep Maria Mas Bonet (organ) and Ramon Coll (piano). He went on to enter a master’s program to study Bach’s organ music with Michael Radulescu and Iberian music with Professor Mas Bonet. In France, he studied with Francois-Henri Houbart and obtained a Premier Prix de Perfectionnement from the Orleans Conservatory. He also studied with Marie-Claire Alain in Paris. In 2000, he won first prize at the Concours National Inter-Conservatoires de France.
After returning to Spain, he performed in concerts throughout Europe, Russia, Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, and the Philippines. He has also played with a number of orchestras, including the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra and PMF Orchestra in 2002, Kosice State Philharmonic Orchestra, and baroque ensembles of Musica Aeterna Bratislava.
Pedrero is a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Grenada and has been teaching as an organ instructor at the Granada Conservatory since 2004. He is an artistic director of the Granada International Organ Festival as well as an instructor of the Summer Organ Academy that he established in Castile in 2019. He also serves as an advisor on Spanish historical organs. He has a master’s degree in Spanish music from the University of Valladolid.

• Juan Maria Pedrero Website

Message to Sapporo citizens

The year I spent in Sapporo was an amazing experience, with lots of wonderful memories. Thanks to Kitara and to the citizens of Sapporo, who are very lucky to have this fantastic Concert-Hall and organ. Sapporo is very cold in winter, but is plenty of warm and heartful people.

3rd Fassang Laszlo

Term:September 2000 to August 2001

Fassang Laszlo of Hungary studied the organ with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard and improvisation with Loic Mallie at Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) after he obtained diplomas in organ performance and organ teaching from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.
In addition to performing organ works, Fassang believes that preserving the tradition of improvisation is also important and is committed to bringing out the organ’s full potential by performing it in different genres, such as jazz and world music.
After leaving Sapporo, Fassang performed in Europe and elsewhere. He won the Grand Prix at the International Organ Competition “Grand Prix de Chartres” in 2004 and the Franz Liszt Prize in 2006.
He is currently based in Budapest and performing and teaching in Europe, the United States, and other places. He also teaches improvisation at CNSMDP.

• Fassang Laszlo Website

2nd Yves Lafargue

Term:September 1999 to August 2000

Born in France. Yves Lafargue earned a diploma national superieur professionnel de musicien (DNSPM) at the Lyon Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse. He received a Premier Prix in music education and music analysis from the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Boulogne-Billancourt as well as one in harmony and counterpoint from Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.
As Kitara’s 2nd resident organist, he spent the 1999-2000 season in Japan, and has visited the country quite regularly ever since. His major performances in Japan include Poulenc’s organ concerto with the NHK Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Charles Dutoit) at PMF 2000, encore pieces at his farewell recital, fantasy incorporating charumera melody played at a ramen stand in Yamahana, Durufle’s Requiem (2002), Mozart Celebration with Jens Korndoerfer (2006), and concerts commemorating Kitara’s 10th and 20th anniversaries. During his stay as the resident organist, he recorded his CD, French Music for Christmas, on Kitara’s great organ.
After returning to France, he obtained a diploma in teaching organ and taught the organ at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Grenoble. He is currently teaching at the Lyon Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional while serving as an organist at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere (Lyon) since April 2006.
In March 2013 in Lyon, he played the organ at the memorial for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake (March 11, 2011), offering them prayers.
Lafargue performs not only solo in recitals but also with solo singers or choirs, as well as plays the organ part in orchestras. He is also active in composing organ and church music as well as transcribing orchestral pieces for the organ (edited in France). In addition, he composed an organ piece called Kitara Fantasia and performed it at the 10th anniversary of Kitara.
In May 2018, Lafargue participated in a recital held in Reims, France, with five other former Kitara resident organists to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kitara. Then, in 2019, he organized a program transcribed for soprano (Karine Deshayes), viola (Lise Berthaud) and organ as a tribute to Hector Berlioz - one of the composers he respects most - and performed at the Maison de la Radio et de la Musique in Paris.
In addition to engaging in musical activities, Lafargue enjoys singing as a chorister and writing fiction.

• Yves Lafargue Website

Message to Sapporo citizens

Throughout distance and years, thanks to a pioneer enthusiasm, despite some hardships, it is so nice to see that organ harmony still links us. I know that I would not be neither the same musician nor the same person if I had not been one of Kitara's organists, bringing my European experience, learning more musical professionalism and discovering Hokkaido people and culture. May this musical and fraternal partnership perpetuate.

1st Pascal Marsault

Term:September 1998 to August 1999

Born in France. Pascal Marsault studied musicology at the University of Tours and music performance at the Sweelinck Academy of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (with Jacques van Oortmerssen) and at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP). While studying in Paris, he first learned the organ under the guidance of Marie-Claire Alain and then studied with Michel Bouvard and Olivier Latry. He earned his master’s degree in organ interpretation in 2000.
After returning to France, Marsault accepted resident organist positions at the Basilica and Sacred Arts Academy of Sainte-Anne d’Auray (Bretagne) and an organist position at St. Ignatius Church in Paris. He earned a diploma in education at CNSMDP and has been enthusiastically engaging in educational activities to teach the organ. He teaches at the Summer Academy held at Luis Angel Arango Library’s concert hall in Bogota (Colombia) as well as serves as a chief faculty member of Conservatoire Toulon Provence Mediterranee. In addition to these educational activities, he performs worldwide not only as a soloist but also in collaboration with distinguished musicians such as Clement Saunier (trumpet), Francoise Masset (soprano) and the Gregorian Choir of Paris.
In 2023, he performed the organ part of French composer Meyerbeer’s opera Le Prophete at the 2023 International Opera Festival in Aix-en-Provence with Emmanuel Arakelian. He also appeared at the Salzburg Cathedral Organ Festival and went on to give the closing performance at the Summer Organ Academy in Saint-Maximin Provence, France.

Message to Sapporo citizens

With a very special and warm greetings to Sapporo citizen and to the present resident organist whom I wish a great time at Kitara with all staff members : I remember the amazing quantity of snow we received in Sapporo when I was there durin winter 1998 and the so beautiful snow Festival and cold weather I was not used to… Gambatte kudasai ne !