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GUY
BOVET (born May 22, 1942), is appreciated in the musical world as a many-sided,
original and cultivated artist, active in many fields. He is constantly
on the road travelling to all parts of the world where organs are played,
and keeps a busy concert schedule of about 60 recitals per year.
His
discography of more than 50 records and CD’s includes recordings made mostly
on historical instruments of Switzerland, France, Spain, Latin America
and lately also in Japan. Several of these recordings have been distinguished
with prizes like the French « Laser d’or » or the German «
Grammi » award.
His
activities in the preservation of historical instruments are appreciated
all over the world and he has advised organ builders and restorers in Europe,
Japan and both Americas, as well as in the Philippines.
With his
wife, Marisa, he
has also revived the organ of the Alain family, for which Jehan Alain composed
most of his music. This instrument is now restored and re-installed in
one of the former convent buildings of the beautiful Clunysian site and
village of Romainmôtier, Switzerland, where yearly organ academies
are held.
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As
a composer, he has worked much for theatre and films, but his catalogue
of over 220 opus numbers includes all kinds of music. Much of his organ
music has been published by various companies (Oxford University, Schola
Cantorum, Eulenburg).
He
has published works for four organs by composers from the Einsiedeln Abbey
(Doblinger) and the complete organ work by Spanish composer José
Lidón (Schola Cantorum). His long-awaited new edition of Francisco
Correa de Arauxo’s Facultad organica (1626), with translation and explanation
of the treatise in French, German, English and Japanese, has
been published in 2007 by «
Ut Orpheus » in Bologna.
A
scholar and investigator, he has also published over 2000 various articles
in music journals on matters related to the organ

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He
is chief editor of the Swiss organ periodical "La Tribune de l’Orgue".
A specialist
of Hispanic organ music, he has carried out a survey of historical organs
in Mexico and Brasil, in cooperation with UNESCO and the Swiss cultural
foundation PRO HELVETIA. During twenty years, he has taught courses for
interpretation of Spanish organ music at the University of Salamanca. He is
giving numerous masterclasses on this and other subjects in
many festivals, universities
and academies all over the world. Recently, he has accepted a teaching assignment
for improvisation at the Conservatory "G.B. Martini"
of Bologna, Italy. He
functions as a juror in major international organ competitions.
Guy
Bovet is Professor at the Musikhochschule in Basel, Switzerland (from which
he will have to retire in July 2008), organist
of the Collegiate Church of Neuchâtel, honorary citizen of the City
of Dallas, Texas, and doctor honoris causa of the University of Neuchâtel. He
has been honoured by the Japanese government for his activities
as a teacher and has been awarded in 2007 the prestigious Prize
of the Institut Neuchâtelois.

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