Throughout his long career, Bernard Aubertin has strived to create instruments that combine sophisticated sound with refined aesthetics, with the ultimate goal of elevating the human spirit.

A self-taught organ builder, Aubertin has crafted dozens of instruments for clients around the world, including 29 in Japan for the small Christian community and the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts. From the intellectual heart of England (Oxford) to Scandinavia, from Brazil to South Korea, his organs continue to resonate throughout the globe.

Yet nothing predestined him for such an illustrious career. Aubertin was born in Lorraine, France in 1952 into a family of cabinetmakers. Indeed, his ancestors have been woodworkers for the past 300 years.

While collaborating on woodwork projects his father carried out for various churches, he became entranced by pipe organs. Fate had struck. After learning cabinet making from his father, he completed his studies at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts by creating his first instrument, crafted entirely from scrap materials.

Aubertin did not initially aspire to open his own workshop. But he found little satisfaction working for other established organ manufacturers. His unique vision of organ building compelled him to take the road less traveled. Thus, the idea of purchasing property in which he would launch his own workshop began took hold. Together with his wife and business partner, Sonja, they settled in the abandoned and dilapidated Priory of Courtefontaine in the heart of the French Jura.

At the time, the Priory had no heat or running water. Only one of the rooms was safe to live in. Despite this hardship, it was within this ruin that the Bernard Aubertin Organ Workshop was born. Sonja and Bernard dedicated their lives to restoring the 12th century priory to its former glory, gradually repairing the structure with each organ sold. Their restoration of the priory earned Bernard and Sonja Aubertin the Grand Prix Crédit du Nord-Vieilles Maisons Françaises (an award recognizing outstanding efforts in the preservation and restoration of historic French buildings) in 1994.

Dozens of instruments destined for the world stage have emerged from Aubertin’s workshop, organs not only destined for churches, but also for prestigious Anglo-Saxon universities such as Aberdeen, Oxford, Cambridge, and Newcastle. He was the first organ builder to construct an instrument in the intellectual heart of England (Oxford).

Without ever compromising on the designs and materials, each one of Aubertin's instruments were entirely produced in his workshops by a team of twelve talented artisan craftsmen. An ambassador of the "Made in France '' label of worldwide craftsmanship, he created his own aesthetic inspired by the 17th century designed and developed his own distinctive acoustic signature. A draftsman, sculptor, designer, harmonist, and master builder, Aubertin had a hand in every step of the building process, everything from the initial sketches to the finishing touches. The Ministry of French Culture named him a Master of Art (inspired by Japan's Living National Treasures) in 1995, and he was later awarded the Legion of Honor in 2007. In 2004, the University of Aberdeen honored him with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa, making him the first French organ builder to ever receive this distinction in the United Kingdom.

Immune to the passing whims of the modern era, Bernard Aubertin has consistently envisioned his instruments in a style intended to be non-intrusive, harmoniously blending them with their surroundings and thus intending them to endure for centuries to come. Although his workshop specializes in crafting new organs, the workshop also performs organ restoration services (such as those done in Thann and Saint Nicolas du Chardonnet). Aubertin organs attract musicians from around the globe, and over a hundred recordings have been made on his instruments.

The origins of the organ, dating back to Ancient Greece, are shrouded in mystery. They were used by the Roman Empire for theater and circus performances prior to becoming an integral part of churches during the Middle Ages. Nicknamed the “King of Instruments” by Mozart, the organ is a highly complex instrument that marries aesthetics with mechanical engineering and harmony.

To build an organ, more than ten different trades are called into play, such as pipe making, wood working, sculpting, instrument tuning, architecture and design and of course, organ manufacturing. Transmitting the craft of organ building thus means that the art of instrument making is preserved in addition to a multitude of high-level artisanal crafts.

Organ building requires expertise in architecture and decorative arts as well as a mastery of acoustic and sound engineering.

Majestic in form, powerful in sound, the organ can be heard in thousands of churches and concert halls throughout the world. It is the most complex instrument and is capable of producing the largest variety of sounds of any instrument in existence. From Bach to Mozart, from Saint Saens to Liszt, the organ is a form of expression deeply admired by the great composers.

Throughout his career, Bernard Aubertin developed his own particular aesthetics and sound quality for his creations. Sculptures are a prominent aspect of Aubertin organs, and high artisanal craftsmanship is involved in their making.

With a team of 12 skilled artisans, every single Aubertin organ was entirely crafted in France before being shipped to its new home, often on the other side of the world.

A mysterious and unsung art form, organ manufacturing has rarely appeared at the forefront of art exhibition or publications.

This is precisely why we strive at the Aubertin Archives to reveal the works of Bernard Aubertan and preserve them in the hopes of passing them down to future generations.

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