About author : BALAYER Charles

 Born in 1957, Charles Balayer studied Organ, Organ Improvisation - he is a former student of Mrs. Xavier Darasse and Jan Willem Jansen - Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue, Musical Analysis, Accompaniment, Chamber Music and Jazz in Toulouse Conservatoire National de Region. He passed the “premier prix” in Organ and Organ Improvisation, and Harmony, the “deuxième prix” in music analysis and was awarded a “prix d’honneur” for the whole of his curriculum.

His activity as a jazzman has leaded him to play in many types of concerts and festivals (such as the international festival Toulouse les Orgues , Jazz en Limousin, Souillac en Jazz, in the La Rochelle festival, but also in that of Cognac, Clermont-Ferrand, Alençon, Aix en Provence, Vaison–La–Romaine, Crest as well as in series of concerts in a tour in Guadeloupe...) and to accompany many French musicians like Benny Vasseur, Jean Toupance, Stéphane Guérault, Pierre Girot, Laurence Saltiel, Francis Arnaud, Kévin Reveyrand, Jack Labrunie... Charles Balayer especially performed with Jack Labrunie in opening one of Dizzy Gillepsie’s late concerts in France.

In 1986, he created the “Choeur Artie Shaw” (a jazz vocal big–band), that he conducts for 22 years, and in which he also steps in as a pianist, a songwriter and an arranger. As the conductor of this choir, he recorded two albums, “Jasons Jazz !” in 1994 and “Entre Jazz et ...” in 1999.

He is also a member of the quartet “Chez Barbaro” (saxophone, guitar, drums and Hammond organ).

Charles Balayercurrently teaches Classical Organ, Organ Improvisation and Jazz at the Conservatoire de Musique et Danse in Brive, the first national school of music in France including a Hammond organ class. He is also composer ( Robert Martin and Delatour France publishings) and main organist of the Stoltz historic great organ of Saint Martin collegiate church in Brive.