Gonzalez-Danion, originally known as Gonzalez or Establissements Gonzalez, was a French firm of
organ builders
This is a list of notable pipe organ builders.
Australia
* William Anderson (1832–1921)
* Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd
* Robert Cecil Clifton (1854–1931)
* William Davidson
* J. E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works
* Fincham & Hobday
* ...
. Originally based in
Paris, it was co-founded by
Victor Gonzalez (1877–1956) and Victor Ephreme in 1921. These two were the principal leaders of the firm for its first thirty-five years. ''
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' stated that Victor Gonzalez was "the emblematic figure of French organ building of the mid-20th century."
In 1929 Gonzalez and Ephreme were joined by Victor's son Fernand Gonzalez (1904–1940). Also working in the firm until 1936 was the organ builder Rudolf von Beckerath. The Spanish organist trained as an organ builder under Gonzalez and Ephreme.
The organ builder
Georges Danion took over the firm in 1956 at which point it was renamed Gonzalez-Danion. Danion studied organ building under Gonzalez, beginning in 1947 and was married to Gonzalez's granddaughter, Annik Gonzalez, who also worked at Gonzalez-Danion as an organ builder. In 1962 Danion purchased the organ company of
Jacquot-Lavergne in
Rambervillers and moved the Gonzalez-Danion's manufacturing to that location. The company simultaneously had its office headquarters in
Brunoy. In 1988 the company's Rambervillers location was sold and that site now operates under the company
Manufacture Vosgienne de Grandes Orgues which is led by
Bernard Dargassies.
In 1980 Annik Gonzalez and Georges Danion had established a separate company,
Manufacture Languedocienne de Grandes Orgues, in Lodève, Hérault. When the Gonzalez-Danion company was sold in 1988 they moved all their energies into this new business. Danion retired in 1998 at which point that business was taken over by Charles-Emmanuel Sarélot.
Partial list of organs built or repaired
*
Saint-Eustache, Paris (1932 new; rebuilt 1967)
*
Reims Cathedral (1938 new)
*
Chapel of Versailles (1938 new)
*
Soissons Cathedral (1956 new)
*
Oratoire du Louvre
The Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre, also Église réformée de l'Oratoire du Louvre, is a historic Protestant church located at 145 rue Saint-Honoré – 160 rue de Rivoli in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, across the street from the L ...
(1962 new)
*
Chartres Cathedral (1971 new)
*
La Madeleine, Paris
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(1971 repair)
*
Beauvais Cathedral (1979 new)
References
{{reflist
Pipe organ building companies
French pipe organ builders