Summer Institute for French Organ Studies

The Summer Institute for French Organ Studies was created in 1985 by Gene Bedient, Organbuilder, and Jesse Eschbach, Professor of Organ at the University of North Texas, Denton. The mission of SIFOS is to give a select number of participants an accurate perspective on the French organ and French culture of the 17-19 centuries. The organ culture in America tends to filter its perspective on the organ through Germanic, 19th century American or American Classic perspectives. Although there is a great deal of interest in French organ literature of the Classic period and the Romantic period, the realization of this literature in our American culture often leaves much to be desired. SIFOS has been very successful at giving the participants an in-depth and realistic perspective on the French organ, its literature and the French culture. Having this experience on instruments for which the music was composed is an essential part of SIFOS and is not available in the same way anywhere else.

Rather than visiting a large number of instruments over a 2 to 3 week period, SIFOS focuses on two instruments, allowing organists to become thoroughly familiar with each of them. Individual practice time on the instruments averages 1 1/2 to 2 hours per day. On Friday evening of each week, qualified participants play public recitals. Because SIFOS adheres to very high standards, participants must necessarily be competent performers and scholars.

SIFOS 2009 will begin on May 25th. You will spend the first week in Poitiers at the Cathedral of St Pierre, where you will have the rare opportunity to work with François-Henri Clicquot's most important instrument. This 4 manual instrument from 1787 is one of the most important historic organs in Europe. Over the weekend SIFOS travels to Epernay in Champagne, to work with an equally important organ of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll at the Church of Notre Dame.

See the other pages on this site for more information and to access the application form.