French organist Olivier Latry is one of the most distinguished concert organists in the world today. One of three titular organists at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, he is also Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatory of Music, Organist Emeritus with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in Canada, and the William T. Kemper Artist in Residence at the University of Kansas.
Olivier Latry appears regularly in venues like the Berlin Philharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, Disney Hall, San Francisco’s Davies Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Philadelphia’s Verizon Hall, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Vienna’s Musikverein and Konzerthaus, Budapest’s Palace of Arts, Royal Festival Hall, KKL Lucerne, Royal Albert Hall, Suntory Hall, Mariinsky, Moscow’s Zaryadye Hall, Rotterdam’s de Doelen, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, and as a soloist with leading orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Berliner Philharmoniker, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, RSO Wien, Hong-Kong Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and the Orchestre National de France.
In addition to concerts and teaching, Mr. Latry has made many acclaimed recordings. His most recent releases include a recording of Couperin’s Messe des Couvents recorded on the organ at the Chapelle Royale du Château de Versailles (Versailles Concerts), and “Live from Vienna,” recorded with phil Blech Wien on the organ at the Musikverein in Vienna (Deutsche Grammophon 485 7171). He also released two CDs on the la Dolce Volta label: a 2019 recording entitled “Bach to the Future” (the last commercial recording made of the Notre-Dame Cathedral organ before the devastating fire), and a recording entitled “Inspirations” which features works by Franz Liszt recorded on the organ at the Philharmonie de Paris, which was awarded the Grand Prize of the Liszt Society in October 2022. In celebration of Mr. Latry’s 60th birthday, Deutsche Grammophon has released a box of ten CDs which include his complete recordings with the label (Bach, Berlioz, Franck, Alkan, Liszt, Wagner, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Messiaen, Florentz, and Escaich). Mr. Latry has also recorded the Poulenc Concerto and the Barber Toccata Festiva with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Jongen Symphonie Concertante with the Liège Orchestra.
Mr. Latry has also written a book about many aspects of his life, teaching, and the organ of Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is entitled “At the organ of Notre-Dame”, and it is published by Dr. J. Butz Musikverlag in Bonn Germany (also available in English).
Mr. Latry was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, in 1962 where he began his musical studies. He later attended the Academy of Music at St. Maur-des-Fossés, studying organ with Gaston Litaize. From 1981 to 1985 he was titular organist of Meaux Cathedral, and at the age of 23 won the competition to become one of the three titular organists of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris along with Philippe Lefebvre and Jean-Pierre Leguay; the three of them succeeding Pierre Cochereau. In 1990 he succeeded his teacher, Gaston Litaize, as organ professor at the Academy of Music at St. Maur-des-Fossés, and then subsequently in 1995 was appointed Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatory where he continues to teach today along with his distinguished colleague, Thomas Ospital.
In recognition of his distinguished work in the field of organ performance and teaching, Mr. Latry has received many prestigious appointments, awards and honorary degrees including the Prix de la Fondation Cino et Simone Del Duca (Institut de France-Académie des Beaux-Arts) in 2000, and “Honoris Causa” Fellowships from the North and Midlands School of Music (UK) in 2006, and from the Royal College of Organists (UK) in 2007. He was also presented the International Performer of the Year award by the New York City Chapter of The American Guild of Organists in April 2009 and received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from McGill University in Montreal Canada in 2010. Olivier also held the post Artist in Residence at the Dresdner Philharmonie for the 2021-2022 season, a position he had held previously in 2017-2019. In 2022 he was named a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and he was awarded the Frobenius Prize (Denmark).
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