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The French organist and pianist, Thierry Mechler, started piano and organ lessons in his home town of Mulhouse, and then went on to Strasbourg where he studied piano under Hélène Boschi and organ with Daniel Roth at the Conservatoire National de Région. In 1981, he won first prize with highest congratulations at the Concours International de Paris. In 1984, he went to Paris to study with Marie-Claire Alain, where he won, in succession a gold medal and a first prize of excellence with congratulations from the jury. In 1986, he won a laureate in improvisation and a first prize for virtuosity with congratulations from the jury in the concert class from Marie-Claire Alain in Paris. He also studied the Art of improvisation with Jacques Taddei, and won the medal of honour at the contest for composition in Mulhouse.
From 1986 until 1989 Thierry Mechler was organ master at the Conservatoire National of Annecy. In 1991 he was accepted in the S.A.C.E.M. as compositor; also in 1991, he received the "Europäischen Förderpreis" in Dresden, as an award for his international carrier and many recordings. He was titular organist from the great organ of the Cathedral Primatial Saint-Jean in Lyon from 1991 until 1999; and from 1992 until 1999 he was curator and organist of the organ of the Auditorium Maurice Ravel in Lyon, an instrument previously the Cavaillé-Coll of the Trocadéro. Since 2002, he is an organist and a curator of the Church organs of prestigious Philharmonic society of Cologne (Germany).
Thierry Mechler one of the elite number of french organists whose charismatic playing and technical excellence is universally recognised. He has toured extensively as a solo recitalist and concerto player. He is invited each year to numerous European Organ Festivals notably : Comminges, St Donat, Notre-Dame de Paris, Chartres, Lyon, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Freiburg, Limburg, Genf, Basel, Maastricht, Ravenna, Helsinki, Lahti, Warschau, England, Austria, Island, Korea, South America, USA.
In 1998 Thierry Mechler became Professor of Organ and Improvisation at the more prestigious University in Europe, the Musikhochschule in Cologne, Germany. As a renowned teacher he is invited every year to Germany, England, Finland, USA, Korea and France to give masterclasses in various academies. He is also member of the Jury of international Competitions.
Thierry Mechler has made many recordings of which the reference can be found in the international catalogue. He recorded J.S. Bach's The Art of Fugue (BWV 1080) for the Solstice label in Germany and has other recordings on the Motette, REM, and Edelweiss labels. During 1995, he performed the entire works of J.S. Bach in a famous series of twelve recitals. Presently (2002) he is recording the complete organ of J.S. Bach. In 1998, he played all the Six Vierne Symphonies in two prestigious series in Strasbourg and Thierenbach. In 2002 he played and recorded the entire works of O. Messiaen. |
