Christoph Bull

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Dr. Christoph Bull
Born (1966-08-27) August 27, 1966 (age 57)
Mannheim, West Germany
NationalityGerman
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Notable workFirst & Grand Walt Disney Concert Hall Premiere Recording
Websitehttp://www.christophbull.com

Christoph Bull (born August 27, 1966) is a German composer, musician and educator, and a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)[1] who was the first organist to record a complete commercial album at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles California using the Frank Gehry co-designed Glatter-Götz/Rosales organ,[2] 2010's "First & Grand Walt Disney Concert Hall Premiere Recording".[3][4][5][6] Christoph is also the creator of Organica,[7] a multi-media concert and recorded album series that has been performed regularly since April 1999.[8][9][10] Dr. Bull has performed on several soundtracks for movies and television series, including the score for the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters.[11][12][13]

Bull is currently the Organist in Residence at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, which houses one of the largest pipe organs in the world.[14][15][16] Further, Bull is an adjunct professor of Organ Performance and Music Performance in the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.[17]

Early life and education[edit]

Bull was born in Mannheim, West Germany, where he began his musical education, piano and organ lessons, and performing.[18] He studied music at University of Church Music in Heidelberg and Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, graduating summa cum laude with a major in scoring from the Berklee College of Music. He also studied organ at the University of Southern California, and organ and sacred music at the American Conservatory of Music.[19]

First & Grand[edit]

Bull's solo album, 2010's First & Grand, was the first time the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ in Los Angeles was used on a recording. The album features a cover of the John Lennon & Paul McCartney Beatles classic "A Day In the Life".[20][21][22]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Retrové"
4:12
2."Prelude In A minor, BWV 543"
  • JS Bach
3:07
3."Fugue In A minor, BWV 543"
  • JS Bach
6:08
4."Beethoven-Improvisation"
  • Bull based on Beethoven
8:32
5."Winnetou-Melodie"
  • Martin Bottcher
6:46
6."Récit De Cornet (after Couperin)"
  • Christoph Bull
6:06
7."Prelude in E minor"
  • Nicolaus Bruhns
5:38
8."A minor Trance"
  • Christoph Bull
5:28
9."Adagio For Strings, op. 11 (arr. for organ)"
  • Samuel Barber
8:58
10."A Day In The Life"
  • Lennon
  • McCartney
7:16
11."When You Wish Upon A Star"
  • Washington
  • Harline
4:50

Other musical ventures[edit]

In addition to his work as a classical composer, performer and recording artist, Dr. Bull has released several collections of music and albums in a variety of styles from avant-garde and pop, to classic rock & roll and cocktail music.[23]

His work has been featured in a series of compilation albums, including the benefit album "2 Unite All", which featured his original song “Peace”.[24][25] His song “Ali Ali Ali” was featured on the website for the collector's book about Muhammad Ali by Taschen.[26]

As a live performer, Bull is most widely known for performing at symphony halls around the world and classical music venues, including the Disney Hall in Los Angeles and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, California.[27][28] But as an organist, he also performed at churches and religious centers throughout America, Europe and Asia. He has also been a resident organist at several high-profile churches including Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, CA,[29] most recently at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, where is he currently the Organist in Residence.[30][31] His mixed media show, Organica, which has featured a variety of artist but most regularly painter Norton Wisdom, has been performed on a wide variety of stages throughout America and Germany. Several Organica performances are also available as a recorded album.[32]

Bull is also an accomplished rock musician who has performed at many of the world's most infamous rock music venues in America and Germany. His rock album Old School was released in 2001 and featured two classic rock covers by The Beatles and Bob Dylan, as well as original compositions. His 1999 Chromatic Records collaboration License to Chill is a collection of original lounge tracks co-written and recorded by Bull with drummer and programmer Larry Washington. The song "Martini Dry" was featured on PBS's History Detectives.[33]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "UCLA Herb Albert School of Music". music.ucla.edu.
  2. ^ "Walt Disney Concert Hall 10th Anniversary". laphil.com.
  3. ^ "Organists". disneyhallorgan.com.
  4. ^ "First and Grand". organlive.com.
  5. ^ "Album Review: First & Grand by Christoph Bull". poptug.com.
  6. ^ "DON'T MISS: Exclusive interview with organist Christoph Bull". kspc.org. 9 February 2012.
  7. ^ "greengalactic.com". greengalactic.com/.
  8. ^ "Christoph Bull: The Man Who Found the Rock in Bach". music.ucla.edu.
  9. ^ "Christoph Bull, organist extraordinaire". numenware.com.
  10. ^ "Walter Ruttman's 1927 Film Classic "Berlin: Symphony of a Great City" with Live Organ Score Comes to UCLA Live's Royce Hall Nov. 29". parstimes.com.
  11. ^ "GHOSTBUSTERS – Theodore Shapiro". moviemusicuk.us. 19 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Christoph Bull discusses his musical contribution to 'Ghostbusters'". dailybruin.com.
  13. ^ "Ghostbusters (2016)". synaesthesiareviews.wordpress.com. 20 January 2017.
  14. ^ "Organ Concert: Christoph Bull". abc10.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  15. ^ "International musician to perform at River Road Church". progress-index.com.
  16. ^ "Alumnotes". berklee.edu.
  17. ^ "Christoph Bull".
  18. ^ "Artist Collaborations". nationalchildrenschorus.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  19. ^ "Christoph Bull". schoolofmusic.ucla.edu.
  20. ^ "The Beatles (arr. Christoph Bull): "A Day in the Life" (C Bull Run Music)". secondinversion.org. 23 December 2016.
  21. ^ "About the educator". laphil.com.
  22. ^ "The Pipe Organist's Dilemna [sic]". kcrw.com. 4 February 2011.
  23. ^ "Concert Organist Christoph Bull: from Bach to Bowie and Back". sandiegostory.com.
  24. ^ "Benefit Album 2 Untite All". foxlima.lv. 11 June 2013.
  25. ^ "Musicians Raise Their Voices in Song to Help Children in Gaza". takepart.com.
  26. ^ "GREATEST OF ALL TIME: A TRIBUTE TO MUHAMMAD ALI". taschen.com.
  27. ^ "The Walt Disney Concert Hall Organ DVD/CD". laphilstore.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  28. ^ "Pacific Symphony offers two-fisted program for organ". ocregister.com. 6 February 2016.
  29. ^ "World-renowned talents play for free". bakersfield.com. 22 June 2013.
  30. ^ "Organ Spectacular". performingartslive.com.
  31. ^ "Prelude on The Great Organs". fccla.org. Archived from the original on 2017-04-22. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  32. ^ "Organica at Royce Hall". laweekly.com. 4 June 2008.
  33. ^ "Forensic Anthropology". pbs.org.
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