Jean Langlais

Born on February 15, 1907 in La Fontenelle (Ille-et-Vilaine, France), on the Breton/Norman border only a few miles from the Mont St Michel, Jean Langlais received his musical training in Paris, first at the National School for the Blind, then at the Paris Conservatory. His teachers for organ and improvisation were Andre Marchal, Marcel Dupre and Charles Tournemire; in composition he studied under Paul Dukas. His professional activity was three-pronged: teaching, organ and composition. As Professor of Organ at the National School for the Blind and the Schola Cantorum, he taught a large number of students, in addition to many private pupils. Organist of St-Pierre de Montrouge (1934-1945) and above all of Ste-Clotilde (1945-1987), he also pursued a soloist career throughout the world. An exceptionally prolific composer, he has left us numerous scores for orchestral, instrumental or vocal ensembles and, for the organ, a corpus of more than 300 pieces. He died on May 8, 1991.