Daniel Roth (Organist)
Daniel Roth, widely acclaimed as one of the leading French organ virtuosos, has
held several prestigious positions as both pertormer and teacher. At the age of
twenty he made his debut at the organ of the Basilique du Sacrй-Coeur in
Montmartre-Paris, as assistant of his teacher, Madame Rolande Falcinelli. He
later succeded her as titular organist, a post which he held until 1985 when he
was appointed titular organist at St-Sulpice, the famous Paris church where is
predecessors were Charles-Marie Widor, Marcel Duprй and Jean-Jacques Grunenwald.
A former student at the Paris Conservatory, Daniel Roth`s teachers have included
Marie-Claire Alain and Maurice Durufй. He has won several competitions, among
them the Grand Prix de Chartres 1971, interpretation and improvisation.
After teaching positions at the Conservatories of Marseille, Strasbourg and
the Saarbrьcken Musikhochschule, he is currently Professor of organ at the
Musikhochschule in Frankfurt am Main where he is successor to Edgar Krapp and
Helmut Walcha from 1995 to 2007. Daniel Roth has been also Artist-in residence
at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and chairman of the organ
department at Catholic University in Washington D.C..
He is invited to play concerts as a soloist and with famous orchestras.
Furthermore he teaches masterclasses and participates on juries for organ
competitions throughout the world.
On the 11th November 2005 he has played the dedication of the new Karl Schuke
(Berlin) Organ of the Concet Hall "Grand Duchesse Josйphine-Charlotte" in
Luxembourg for the construction of which he has been artistic advisor.
A composer as well as performer, Daniel Roth has several works for organ, for
flute and organ, choir and organ. The City of Ludwigshafen (Germany)
commissionned him an orchestra piece. "Licht im Dunkel" first performed in this
town in may 2005 and in Paris, St Etienne du Mont in april 2006 conducted by his
son Franзois-Xavier Roth. The work is published by Schott.
For his compositions he received the Florent Schmitt prize awarded by the
Acadйmie des Beaux-Arts (Institut de France).
Daniel Roth is also well known for his brillant improvisations which are
regularly included in his concerts programs. He has many recordings to his
credit covering pieces of the XVIIth century to the present time. Several of
them were rewarded by the critics.
He is Chavalier de la Lйgion d’Honneur, Officier des Arts et Lettres,
Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Organists (London). In 2006 he received
the European Prize of European sacred music from the Schwдbisch Gmьnd Festival
(Germany).
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