Joseph Bonnet
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Joseph Bonnet (March 17, 1884 - August 2, 1944) was a composer and organist.
One of the major French organ players, Joseph Bonnet was born in Bordeaux. He first studied with his father, an organist at St. Eulalie. At the age of 14, he became official organist, first at St. Nicholas and almost immediately at St. Michael. Bonnet also attended classes with Guilmant at the Conservatoire de Paris. A few years later he finished with a first prize and, in 1906, he was selected to become the organist at St. Eustache.
In 1911 he had the privilege of succeeding Guilmant as concert organist at the Conservatoire de Paris.
On January 28, 1917 he moved to the U.S., where he gave more than 100 concerts around the country until 1919. Bonnet founded the organ department of the Eastman School of Music in 1921.
A few years later, Bonnet returned to Paris. Denise Restout attended master classes from Wanda Landowska and Joseph Bonnet in 1933. Four years later, he took Louis Vierne's position as organ teacher and specialist at the Cesar Frank Music School.
In 1940, due to the outbreak of World War II, he had to leave Paris once more and travel back to America. He created a large number of organ pieces including a Compilation of Ancient French Music for Organ which was published in 1942. He died on August 2, 1944 in Luc-sur-Mer, Quebec during a short trip.
