Marchal, André 1894-1980

Noted French organist André Marchal was born on Feb. 6, 1894, in Paris, France. He studied with Adolphe Marty at the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles in Paris, and later with the famed French organist Eugène Gigout at the Conservatoire National de Musique in Paris, where he won several significant prizes. His career as a liturgical organist began in 1915, when he succeeded Augustin Barié at the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, a position he held for thirty years. In 1945, he became titulaire at Saint-Eustache in Paris. His concert career began in 1923, and during his lifetime, he played hundreds of programs in Australia, Europe, Great Britain, the Middle East, and traveled on tour to the United States 19 times. He was a respected teacher with many American students. He died in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France, on August 27, 1980.