René SAORGIN

René SAORGINRené Saorgin, born in 1928 in Nice, France, is one the most respected organists of France.

He studied at the Conservatoire de Nice under Maurice Duruflé. In 1958, he won the first prize “Jean Sébastien Bach” at at the International Organ Competition of Gand. From 1951 to 1954 he was organist at Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, then started teaching organ at the Nice Conservatory.

In 1954, he became the holder of the organ of the church Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Nice. From 1969 to 1971, he was the director of Ajaccio Conservatory. He is one of the few French organists with a deep interest for the Italian organ and its music ; noteworthy on this, some of his first recordings were done at the organ of Bastia and Brescia (Frescobaldi, 1963).

With his recording in Tende (1973), he revived interest on curious 19th century musical instruments. His Buxtehude’s complete work recordings [1966-1973: Alkmaar & Zwolle (Netherlands), Altenbruch (Germany), Arlesheim (Switzerland)] are considered a “Reference”. He is one of the first French organists to reveal the astounding Georg Muffat’s Toccatas (Apparatus Musico-Organisticus) on the italianized organ of Malaucène (1974).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Saorgin