Rowan West (1953–2023) was an accomplished organ builder based in Altenahr, Germany. Originally from Australia, West learned to play the organ at Sydney Cathedral. After completing high school and an apprenticeship in organ building in Australia, he received a Churchill Fellowship that enabled him to move to Central Europe in 1975. He honed his skills at Orgelbau Klais in Bonn and attended the North German Organ Academy in Bunde, focusing on Baroque organs. He completed his master craftsman school in Ludwigsburg in 1986 and established his own workshop in 1987, which employed five workers by 2016. Tragically, his workshop was completely destroyed by the 2021 flood, and he passed away after a long illness at the age of 70 in 2023.

West's work primarily centered on North German Baroque organs, creating new instruments in the style of Arp Schnitger and restoring historical organs. Significant projects include the reconstruction of Berendt Hus's lost organ in Celler Stadtkirche St. Marien in 1999 and the restoration of several Schnitger organs from 2012 onward. His craftsmanship extended to creating new organs in the Central German style of Gottfried Silbermann, as well as South German traditions of the 18th century and French styles. Notable restorations include the oldest playable organ in Germany at St. Andreas in Ostönnen and the Schwalbennest organ in Lemgo, St. Marien. Dedicated to traditional techniques, West used historical methods in pipe and woodwork, ensuring the authenticity and quality of his restorations and new builds. His work gained recognition in the organ-building community, contributing to research on preserving 17th and 18th-century organ pipes from lead corrosion.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan_West
https://www.west-orgelbau.de/Ubersicht/Die_Firma/die_firma.html