COOKIES : En poursuivant votre navigation sur ce site, vous acceptez l'utilisation de cookies pour vous proposer des services et offres adaptés. .       

-

Bergerault generations, a history of percussion.

FIRST GENERATION

1932
Albert BERGERAULT, a passionate musician with a brilliant creative mind, founds his own company. He becomes the first xylophone maker in France.

1941
Behind barbed-wire : « Notes of hope »
Albert Bergerault is made prisoner of war by the German army and is held in Poland in Sagan at the Stalag VIII C. There he creates, with his knife and several makeshift tools, a xylophone. The guard gives him the score of "Errinerung an Zircus Renz" by Gustav Peters which he plays for the other prisoners. A true ray of sunshine.

1942
On his return from captivity, he takes up his activity and his research on new sounds.
He creates xylophones, marimbas, vibraphones, bells playing, glockenspiels...

1950
The high sound quality of instruments is recognized, many bands and drummers play on BERGERAULT: Paris Opera, conservatories of music, Radio France, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, the Michel Legrand orchestra and Michel Hausser, first French vibraphonist and friend of Mick Jackson present on many jazz festivals in Europe.

SECOND GENERATION

1970
BERGERAULT – Contemporary Percussions

Gilbert Fergeau, Albert Bergerault’s son-in-law, takes the lead. He creates with Mack and Sylvia Perry, president of the PERIPOLE USA, a new line of instruments meant to be used for the “ORFF method” music education.
References are numerous in colleges and universities, with conventions in Cincinnati, Memphis, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles...

The company creates unique instruments in the world at the request of major contemporary composers :
- the first contemporary 5 octave bass marimba presented for the first times at the PAS in San Jose;
- sixtens for Xénakis;
- vibraphone and ¼ tone glockenspiel for the Conservatory of Geneva, Switzerland;
- vibraphone-bass marimba, unique piece for the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski;
- set of rattlesnakes with muffler system (vibraphone);
- glockenspiel with muffler system and resonator (vibraphone system);
- plates bells in partnership with the CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research);
- tubular bells for monumental chimes in Japan.

THIRD GENERATION

2002
BERGERAULT – Contemporary Percussions

Mathieu Fergeau, Alexandre Fergeau et David Alaime, Albert Bergerault’s grandsons, now preside over the destiny of BERGERAULT France-USA.
The company masters technical skills for work with wood, metal, composite materials and musical acoustics. Its activity is still developing with the manufacture of specialized furniture for orchestras.

2010
The first range of BERGERAULT timpani is created.

BERGERAULT now offers a full range of percussion instruments with a presence all over the world in the United States, Europe, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea...

Since its creation, BERGERAULT has added up many references:
Bolshoi Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre, London Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmonic, Phenece, Paris Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Opera, Li Biao (orchestra and solo performances, China), Karol Szymanowski (jazz, 6 rods technique, Poland), Ricardo Angellini (timpanist, Italy), Cory Band (brass band, England), Quartet Beat (France), Pulse trio (Belgium)...

The French Government labels BERGERAULT “Living Heritage Company”.

2012
BERGERAULT and DYNASTY develop in partnership a full range of professional percussion instruments thought out and designed by leading universities and Drums Corps in U.S.A.

And also “Concert Signature” pieces for artists and orchestras as Christopher Deane or Mark Ford from the University of North Texas.

2015
Thanks to its collaboration with the most renowned professors and the most talented artists who love its amazing sound, Bergerault S.A. develops a complete range of signature Vibraphone with incomparable sound and elegant lines.

In addition, many new artists joined the team through the years and brilliantly represent and use the Bergerault sounds throughout the world. Names such as Alexey Chizhik, Mario Ignacio Ceballos, Nico Schoeters or Rocco Luigi Bitondo are extremely recognized references on the most wonderful music stages in the world.

picture_as_pdf Download our PDF document to find out more ...

EPV Label :

Bergerault S.A. has been recognized by the French government “Company of Living Heritage”

Highlight..

The woods : what kind of wood do we use to handcraft your marimba or your xylophone?

L'artiste du mois

Meet the Quatuor Beat, the magic of music like you never heard !

Subscribe to the NEWSLETTER
BERGERAULT WEBSTORE

I agree that the information entered will be used in the context of the request for information and the commercial relationship that may arise from it.
send
send

room

Bergerault
Percussions Contemporaines
58 avenue du 8 mai 1945
37240 Ligueil - FRANCE

phone

Tel. +33 247 599 459
percussions@bergerault.com

info_outline

Terms of use
Privacy policy