MuhleisenPels-Dhondt(Herselt,Belgium).Jean-BaptisteD’Hondtfounded asmallorganbuildingfirmin1892nearBrussels.Inthemiddle oftheXXthcentury,hisfirmmergedwiththefirmofBernard Pels,adescendantofadynastyoforganbuilders(foundedby BernardPelsIin1870),locatedatAlkmaar,Netherlands.Since 1987,thefirmisledbyGerardPels.Heisthefourthgeneration ofbothfamilies.Aftertheconstructionofanumberofnew organs,thefirmspecializeditselftowardsrestorationoforgans fromtheXVIthtoXXthcentury.Heworkedontheorgansof EgliseducoeureucharistiquedeJésus(1947)andrebuildedthe organ of Saint-Joseph-des-épinettes (2014)RiegerJean&Edouard(??-1952)Ruche(Lyon)wereorganbuilders activeduringthefirsthalfoftheXXthcentury.CharlesMeslé(1914-2011)wasvoiceratthisfirm.Hecontinuedthefirmafter thedeathofEdouardin1952.Thefirmclosedin1979.Hebuilt theorganofChapelledesFranciscainesréparatricesdeJésus Hostie (1973).PierreSarelot(1930-2010)andLouisBenoist(*1931)were organbuildersinMans(Laigné-en-Belin)from1968-1995and weredoingmainlyrestorationworks.Theyworkedontheorgan oftheChapelledespèresFranciscainsandtheEglisede L'immaculéeconception.ThefirmwastakenoverbyJean-Pierre Conan (*1952) and closed in 2010. GeorgesSchwenkedel(1885-1958)workedfirstatthefirm Roethingerandcreatedlater,togetherwithErnestMulheisen (1897-1981),theMaisonSchwenkedel.HissonCurtjoinedthe company.In1941,Muhleisenchangedtobuildingneobaroque organsandhiscompanywasrenamedintoMulheisenG. WaltheretAssociés,directedbyGeorgesWalther.Mulheisen’s brother-in-law,AlfredKern,foundedacompanyinStrasbourgin 1953. Curt Schwenkedel ended his activities in 1972. AneworganbuiltbytheSchwenkedelfirmislocatedinEglise Protestante Unie de Passy Annonciation (1973).More information (in French)YvesSévère(1929-2004)wasthestepsonandpupilofPierre Chéron,whosefirmhecontinuedin1963.Chapelledespères Franciscains (19xx).
Xavier Silbermann worked at Schwenkedel until 1958 and continued his activities on his own. He made 42 organs and restored or enlarged another 23 instruments. He worked on the organ of the Chapelle du couvent des Dominicains (1985).LaurentSteinmetz(??-2001)andhisbrotherChrétienlearned theirskillsattheSchwenkedelfirm.Theystartedtheirownfirm in 1968. He built the organ of Saint-Gabriel (1982).Jean-Pierre Swiderski (*1940)HelearnedhisskillsattheSchwenkedelfirm,wherehewas voicer.Afterthat,hestartedhisowncompanyintheParisian region.HeworkedontheorgansofChapelledel’Hôpital Lariboisière,ChapelleduLycéeJacques-Decour,ChapelleNotre-Damedubonconseil,EgliseProtestanteUniedePentemont Luxembourg-ChapelleduLuxembourg,Notre-Damed’Auteuil, Saint-Eloi,Saint-Jean-BaptistedeBelleville,Saint-Roch(Chapelle de la Vierge), Saint-Sulpice.L’abbéVictorJosephHenriTronchet(1861-1945)waspriest andasorganbuilderprobablyautodidact.Hecreatedhisfirmin Nogent-le-Rotrouin1887.Heplayedasignificantroleinthe organbuildingofSartheandthesurroundingregion.His nephewAndré(??-1969)continuedthefirmfrom1928onwards. He built the organ of Notre-Dame du Liban (1910)HenryWillis&Sonwasfoundedin1845byHenryWillis,who wasnicknamed"FatherWillis"becauseofhiscontributiontothe artandscienceoforganbuildingandtodistinguishhimfromhis youngerrelativesworkinginthefirm.Fivegenerationsofthe Willisfamilyservedasprincipalsofthefirmuntil1997when HenryWillisIVretiredandDavidWyldwasappointedas managing director. TheWillisfirmisregardedastheleadingorganbuilderofthe Victorianera.DuringtheIndustrialRevolutionmanytowns equippedthemselveswithimposingtownhallsandchurches, preferablywithaWillisinstrumentinasymphonicstyle.Henry WillisIVbuiltmany‘JuniorDevelopmentPlanOrgans’whichhe designedtobeeconomicalinitially,butwithscopeforexpansion asfundsbecameavailable.HeworkedontheorganofSaint-Joseph's Catholic Church.
MuhleisenPels-Dhondt(Herselt,Belgium).Jean-BaptisteD’Hondtfoundeda smallorganbuildingfirmin1892nearBrussels.Inthemiddleof theXXthcentury,hisfirmmergedwiththefirmofBernardPels,a descendantofadynastyoforganbuilders(foundedbyBernard PelsIin1870),locatedatAlkmaar,Netherlands.Since1987,the firmisledbyGerardPels.Heisthefourthgenerationofboth families.Aftertheconstructionofanumberofneworgans,thefirm specializeditselftowardsrestorationoforgansfromtheXVIthto XXthcentury.HeworkedontheorgansofEgliseducoeur eucharistiquedeJésus(1947)andrebuildedtheorganofSaint-Joseph-des-épinettes (2014)RiegerJean&Edouard(??-1952)Ruche(Lyon)wereactiveduringthefirst halfoftheXXthcentury.CharlesMeslé(1914-2011)wasvoicerat thisfirm.HecontinuedthefirmafterthedeathofEdouardin1952. Thefirmclosedin1979.HebuilttheorganofChapelledes Franciscaines réparatrices de Jésus Hostie (1973).PierreSarelot(1930-2010)andLouisBenoist(*1931)wereorgan buildersinMans(Laigné-en-Belin)from1968-1995andweredoing mainlyrestorationworks.Theyworkedontheorganofthe ChapelledespèresFranciscainsandtheEglisedeL'immaculée conception.ThefirmwastakenoverbyJean-PierreConan(*1952) and closed in 2010. GeorgesSchwenkedel(1885-1958)workedfirstatthefirm Roethingerandcreatedlater,togetherwithErnestMulheisen (1897-1981),theMaisonSchwenkedel.HissonCurtjoinedthe company.In1941,Muhleisenchangedtobuildingneobaroque organsandhiscompanywasrenamedintoMulheisenG.Waltheret Associés,directedbyGeorgesWalther.Mulheisen’sbrother-in-law, AlfredKern,foundedacompanyinStrasbourgin1953.Curt Schwenkedel ended his activities in 1972. AneworganbuiltbytheSchwenkedelfirmislocatedinEglise Protestante Unie de Passy Annonciation (1973).More information (in French)YvesSévère(1929-2004)wasthestepsonandpupilofPierre Chéron,whosefirmhecontinuedin1963.Chapelledespères Franciscains (19xx).Xavier Silbermann worked at Schwenkedel until 1958 and continued his activities on his own. He made 42 organs and restored or enlarged another 23 instruments. He worked on the organ of the Chapelle du couvent des Dominicains (1985).LaurentSteinmetz(??-2001)andhisbrotherChrétienlearned theirskillsattheSchwenkedelfirm.Theystartedtheirownfirmin 1968. He built the organ of Saint-Gabriel (1982).Jean-PierreSwiderski(1940-2023)learnedhisskillsatthe Schwenkedelfirm,wherehewasvoicer.Afterthat,hestartedhis owncompanyintheParisianregion.Heworkedontheorgansof Chapelledel’HôpitalLariboisière,ChapelleduLycéeJacques-Decour,ChapelleNotre-Damedubonconseil,Notre-Dame d’Auteuil,EgliseProtestanteUniedePentemontLuxembourg- ChapelleduLuxembourg,Saint-Jean-BaptistedeBelleville,Saint-Roch (Chapelle de la Vierge), Saint-Sulpice.L’abbéVictorJosephHenriTronchet(1861-1945)waspriestand asorganbuilderprobablyautodidact.Hecreatedhisfirmin Nogent-le-Rotrouin1887.Heplayedasignificantroleintheorgan buildingofSartheandthesurroundingregion.HisnephewAndré (??-1969)continuedthefirmfrom1928onwards.Hebuilttheorgan of Notre-Dame du Liban (1910).HenryWillis&Sonwasfoundedin1845byHenryWillis,whowas nicknamed"FatherWillis"becauseofhiscontributiontotheartand scienceoforganbuildingandtodistinguishhimfromhisyounger relativesworkinginthefirm.FivegenerationsoftheWillisfamily servedasprincipalsofthefirmuntil1997whenHenryWillisIV retired and David Wyld was appointed as Managing Director. TheWillisfirmisregardedastheleadingorganbuilderofthe Victorianera.DuringtheIndustrialRevolutionmanytowns equippedthemselveswithimposingtownhallsandchurches, preferablywithaWillisinstrumentinasymphonicstyle.Henry WillisIVbuiltmany‘JuniorDevelopmentPlanOrgans’whichhe designedtobeeconomicalinitially,butwithscopeforexpansionas fundsbecameavailable.HeworkedontheorganofSaint-Joseph's Catholic Church.