News

2013

November 7-10 Presentation of the new organ for Radio France, Paris (86/ IV) built by Gerhard Grenzing at his workshop in El Papiol (Barcelona). November 1-3 Symposium for organ builders Paris Cavaillé-Coll and examples of alsatian organ reform in Paris October 12 Start of a new tradition of 'auditions d'orgue' at the great Cavaillé-Coll organ of Ste Clotilde, each second Saturday of the month (October-June) at 5 PM. September 28 Release of the first CD of the great Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Basilica Ste. Clotilde after the major restoration works of Dargassies in 2005. On September 28, 2013, 20h30, Olivier Penin, the organist titulaire of the basilica Ste.Clotilde in Paris, will present this new CD, a tribute to his famous predecessors, with works of Cesar Franck, Charles Tournemire and Jean Langlais. September 15 New schedule auditions St. Sulpice From 15 September onwards, the Sunday Mass at St. Sulpice will be conducted at 11 AM (Organ Prelude at 10:45 AM). The weekly organ recital on the Grand Organ will follow the mass at around noon. Visits to the organ loft after the recital will take place in groups of 15 persons until 1PM. June, 4 France suffers from organ failure Article published in Guardian Weekly, based onan article in Le Monde. June, 1 Jean Costa (born in 1924) died. He studied with Édouard Commette, Maurice Duruflé and Marcel Dupré. e was some time suppléant of Marcel Dupré at Saint-Sulpice and organiste titulaire at the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul from 1952 till 1997. He was organ professor at the Conservatoire of Nantes from 1953 till 1970 and from 1971 till 1992 at the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud of Aix-en-Provence. He was a famous international concert-organist and made numerous recordings. May, 5-6 NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS : THE WORLD ORGAN DAY NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS: organ music from 8h30 PM till 1h AM!! [395 KB] April, 12-13 Organ concours Merklin Organ competition Improvisations

March, 23rd After their benediction the 2nd of february by cardinal André VINGT-TROIS, and their installation in the towers, the eight new bells and the bourdon Marie of Notre-Dame de Paris have ring for the first time saturday 23rd of march at 5 PM. This event was presided by archbishop André VINGT-TROIS, in the presence of Minister of Culture Aurélie FILIPETTI, Mayor of Paris Bertrand DELANOE, and the nonce of France Luigi VENTURA. February 26, 2013 Marie-Claire Alain died at the age of 86. She was probably the most famous French organist in the world, given concerts all over the world, with over 260 recordings in her catalogue. She was born on August, 10th, 1926 in Saint-Germain- en-Laye. Her father, Albert Alain (1880–1971) was an organist and composer, as were her brothers, Jehan (1911–1940) and Olivier (1918–1994). Alain studied in the Paris Conservatory, in the organ class of Marcel Dupré, where she was awarded four first prizes. She also studied with Maurice Duruflé and Gaston Litaize. She teached at the Conservatoire National de Région de Rueil-Malmaison and gave numerous master- classes around the world. She was a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Music, a Doctor Honoris Causa of Colorado State University and Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas), a Commander of the Legion d'Honneur and of the Ordre National du Mérite. Among her pupils were George C. Baker, Guy Bovet, James David Christie, Daniel Roth, Wolfgang Rübsam and Thomas Trotter. January Jean-Pierre Leguay, organiste titulaire of the Great Organ of Notre-Dame de Paris, has been given a prestigious decoration: Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. January, 12th Notre-Dame-de-Paris Start of the organ auditions, now on Saturday-evening, 8 PM January DVD/CD The Genius of Cavaillé-Coll: the life and work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811 – 1899). It includes a three-part, 156-minute documentary about Cavaillé- Coll’s life and work, demonstrations of fifteen organs and more than three hours of music (all recorded in full surround sound). Two CDs feature a survey of French organ music from 1830 to 1900. An 80-page booklet contains specifications and colour photos of all the organs, track details and an introductory essay. Watch trailer.