Jean Bonfils


Jean Bonfils was a 20th-century French organist, music educator, musicologist and composer.

Biography

Born in Saint-Étienne, Bonfils commence ses études musicales au. After the war, he resumed his studies at the conservatoire de Paris where he obtained a First Prize in organ in the class of Marcel Dupré, a 2nd Prize in composition in the class of Jean Rivier and a 1st medal in musical analysis with Olivier Messiaen.
In the same year, he became Olivier Messiaen's assistant on the organ of the église de la Trinité à Paris, and this until 1992, then the assistant of Naji Hakim until 1999.
Jean Bonfils was also the organist at the Grand Synagogue of Paris from 1953 to 1997.
He taught the organ at the Schola Cantorum de Paris from 1961 to 1973.
With Gaston Litaize, he directed the important series L'Organiste liturgique at Éditions musicales of the Schola Cantorum and la Procure générale de Musique.
Jean Bonfils died in Rennes on 26 November 2007.

Publications

In collaboration with Noëlie Pierront, Jean Bonfils published: