St. Christopher's Episcopal Church

Concerts

Organ Recital: Maurice Clerc

Wednesday, May 22, 7 p.m. Maurice Clerc joins in the continuity of the big French tradition while drawing his energy from the dynamism of our time. His numerous concerts, approximately 1300 recitals in some twenty countries among which 28 tours in North America (U.S.A. and Canada), have earned him an international reputation. Traveling four continents for forty years, from Europe to Australia, he has played in locations such as Notre-Dame de Paris, the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in New York, the Dom de Lübeck, the Basilica Saint Marc de Venise, and the Oratory of Saint Joseph in Montréal.

Born in Lyon in 1946, Maurice Clerc was awarded a diploma at the Ecole Normale of Music in Paris where he studied with Suzanne Chaisemartin. At the
Higher National Conservatory for Music of Paris, he obtained, in 1975, a first prize of organ in the class of Rolande Falcinelli. With Gaston Litaize, he pursued this course during several years with whom he deepened the interpretation of the repertory of the 18th century. Finally, since 1972, he had the opportunity to frequent the famous courses of improvisation given by Pierre Cochereau to the International Academy of Nice. He won the Prize of Improvisation in the international competition of Lyon in 1977.

Maurice Clerc is Emeritus organist of the cathédral in Dijon after being the titular organist of this great instrument for 46 years from 1972 to 2018. He was also a professor at the Conservatory of Dijon and lecturer at the University. Maurice Clerc recorded a dozen CDs, including Bach and German Baroque masters. But having built up himself a reputation in the romantic and modern repertory and considered one of the specialists of the French music, he became attached to the promotion of the major works of Franck, Vierne, Dupré, Fleury, and Langlais. His most recent recordings led him to present Cochereau and French transcriptions.

Mr. Clerc will present a one-hour recital of the works of Buxtehude, Cochereau, Fleury, Langlais, Telemann, and Tournemire.

Maurice Clerc