Jean Bonfils

Jean-Baptiste Marcel Éloi Bonfils (21 April 1921 – 26 November 2007) was a 20th-century French organist, music educator, musicologist and composer.

Born in Saint-Étienne (Loire), Bonfils commenced his musical studies at the conservatory of his hometown [fr].

After the war, he resumed his studies at the conservatoire de Paris where he obtained a First Prize in organ (1949) in the class of Marcel Dupré, a 2nd Prize in composition (1948) in the class of Jean Rivier and a 1st medal in musical analysis (1950) with Olivier Messiaen.

With Gaston Litaize, he directed the important series L'Organiste liturgique (1953-1967) at Éditions musicales of the Schola Cantorum and la Procure générale de Musique.

Bonfils died in Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine department) on 26 November 2007 at the age of 86.