Press Release
Monsignor Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, rector-archpriest of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, in agreement with Monsignor Laurent Ulrich, Archbishop of Paris, announces the appointment of four titular organists, who will play in rotation:
- Olivier Latry, titular organist of the grand organ at the Cathedral,
- Vincent Dubois, titular organist of the grand organ at the Cathedral,
- Thierry Escaich, member of the Institut de France, titular organist of the grand organ at the Cathedral,
- Thibault Fajoles, assistant titular organist of the grand organ and the choir organ at the Cathedral.
Joining the two organists who were in post at the time of the fire, Olivier Latry and Vincent Dubois, are the organist, composer, and improviser Thierry Escaich, one of the major figures in contemporary French music, and Thibault Fajoles, representing the very young generation of French organists (21 years old), chosen for his promising talent and proven ability to perfectly serve both the grand organ and the choir organ, where he will notably accompany the Cathedral Choir (Sacred Music at Notre-Dame de Paris).
It is with great joy that I announce the appointment of a team of very talented organists, strengthened and rejuvenated, for the grand organ of Notre-Dame. These appointments are a step towards the reawakening of the instrument in early December, which will be a symbolic moment of the cathedral’s reopening for the faithful, visitors, and music lovers worldwide. I hope that the talent of this renewed team will accompany and elevate the prayers of the faithful, drawing them into the act of thanksgiving.
Monsignor Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas,
rector-archpriest of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
Yves Castagnet, who has been in post since 1988, remains the titular organist of the choir organ at the Cathedral. Former organists of the Cathedral, Jean-Pierre Leguay and Philippe Lefebvre, are emeritus organists.
The Grand Organ
Overlooking the nave at a height of 16 meters, standing 12 meters tall, with nearly 8,000 pipes, five keyboards, a pedalboard, and 109 stops, the instrument is one of the largest in France and certainly one of the most famous in the world. Fortunately spared by the fire, the grand organ was entirely dismantled in August 2020, cleaned, and then reassembled by the end of 2023. It is currently being tuned and harmonized during the months leading up to the reopening, when the indispensable silence of the building permits, that is, during the night.
Since the cathedral has been equipped with an organ, around fifty organists have succeeded one another at the tribune. Among the most famous are Louis-Claude Daquin (1694-1772), Claude Balbastre (1724-1799), who played the organ during the Revolution, Louis Vierne (1900-1937), and Pierre Cochereau (1955-1984), who helped make the instrument famous worldwide. Since then, the titular organists have been responsible, beyond liturgical accompaniment, for the global reputation of the instrument. In 1985, the serving custodian of Notre-Dame Cathedral resumed the tradition of the “quarter service,” inherited from the 18th century. This will be the case again when the Cathedral reopens in December.
The Song of the Organ!
On the eve of the reopening, during the Vigil of Prayers organized on December 7, 2024, the Archbishop of Paris will reawaken the instrument after five years of silence. This reawakening will take the form of a long invocation to the organ, which will respond by singing and dialoguing with Monsignor Laurent Ulrich, once again magnifying the liturgy and the 2,500 services that take place annually in the Cathedral.
Starting on December 15, 2024, there will be an audition given by one of the Cathedral’s titular organists every Sunday at 5 PM. A concert season, organized by Sacred Music at Notre-Dame de Paris, will feature the organ prominently, with around fifteen concerts dedicated to it, not to mention the many other concerts during which it will be heard. The program for this season will be announced in the summer.
For our song that rises to you, Lord, to be more worthy of your Glory, we ask the organ to awaken.
Awaken, organ! Intone the praise of God…
Organ, sacred instrument, lead the prayer of the faithful into the act of thanksgiving!
Find the biographies of the organists at the following link.
