Prof_matthieu

(~ 1992): Matthieu follows traditional French schooling while studying cello, organ with Norbert Pétry and music theory at the Music Conservatory of la Chaud-de-fond in Switzerland and later on in Besançon, France. Matthieu holds an Electrical Engineering Technologist Diploma and acquired basic knowledge in metalwork.

(1993 – 1995): He does his apprenticeship with Klein & Sons in Alsace, France. In the workshop, Matthieu learns the traditional way of casting metal, scraping, shaping, beating, soldering and assembling pipes. This workshop masters the methods of building pipes as they used to be built in the XVII and XVIII centuries in France and in Germany. In this workshop, he learns how to make pipes with up to 98% of lead alloy as well as hammering and hand scraping decreasing thickness in lead sheets. He learns a lot about reed pipe making. This technique includes how to shape shallots in the French and German way, respecting the shape and alloy of the different periods.

(1996-1997): Training and work experience in the USA at the well renown Richard & Fox Pipe Organ Company. He acquires skills in manufacturing high quality neo-Classic/Baroque style instruments. During this time, he gains special skills in planning metal sheets by hand, enabling him to repair and reshape every kind of pipes on site, which is a skill that is very in demand among the organ builder community. As a hobby, he has also developed a strong capacity to build embossed front pipes where a high finesse is required in order for the pipes to have optimal sound.

(1998-2000): Matthieu moves to Japan and takes on the responsibility of opening a maintenance and service workshop for our Asian customers. With more than 50 Organs already installed at the time in Japanese churches and concert halls, it was essential to open a local maintenance service to better provide for our customers.

1999-2000: Shinko Kobe church organ (Japan). Matthieu is in charge of the installation and the voicing of this exceptional 27 stops instrument.

It is during this project that Matthieu discovers his natural ability for customer relations. At this point his Japanese is fluent and he becomes the link between the workshop and the Japanese clientele.

This project was musically unique with each keyboard and pedal-board having split keys (14 keys per octaves) in order to increase the capacity of the mean tone temperament tonality. Through his strong voicing skills, Matthieu optimized the sound of every pipes requested to fit harmonics requirements and acoustic condition of the daily worship with the singing choir, in accordance with the specificity of the Renaissance music.

(2000-present day) with over 20 years’ experience in tuning (up to 500 stops a year), Matthieu is the strongest tuner in the company.

He is able to deal with humidity and temperature problems while tuning a 12 ranks mixture in the organ and has unique skills in tuning quickly for concert requirements. He is an irreplaceable member of our team. His vast experience in maintenance makes him an expert at tackling every kind of problem that can be encountered in daily maintenance work, therefore respecting the schedule of a concert or place of worship. This is the reason why he is often asked to join famous concert orchestras during their tour (ex: Bach Collegium Japan of Masaaki Suzuki in Japan and Europe).

Today he is in charge of a park of more than 190 Garnier pipe organs in Asia.

He takes care of more than 40 instruments made by other organ builders because customers have specifically asked for his expertise. He has tuned, prepared and even organized about 5000 concerts and organ exams since 2000.

Well known in Japan, he regularly talks about organs on radio or TV shows.

He is also a part-time tuner and organ-builder teacher at the Japanese National University of Fine Art and Music in Tokyo.

Matthieu fluently speaks Japanese, French, English, German and Bulgarian.