Marie-Claire Alain

Marie-Claire Alain (10 August 1926 – 26 February 2013) was a French organist and organ teacher best known for her prolific recording career.

Marie-Claire Alain was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 10 August 1926. Her father Albert Alain (1880–1971) was an organist and composer, as were her brothers, Jehan (1911–1940) and Olivier (1918–1994). At the age of 11 she began assisting her father when he played organ in the parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. She studied at the Paris Conservatory in the organ class of Marcel Dupré, where she was awarded four first prizes. She also studied harmony there with Maurice Duruflé.

Alain won the 2nd prize for organ at the Geneva International Music Competition in 1950.

She taught at the conservatory of Rueil-Malmaison and the Paris Conservatory. Her pupils included Cherry Rhodes, James M. Higdon, Jr, George C. Baker, Robert Bates, Diane Bish, Samuel Metzger, Guy Bovet, James David Christie, Jesse Eschbach, Monique Gendron, Gerre Hancock, Marcus Huxley, Gunnar Idenstam,Wolfgang Karius, Jon Laukvik, Lyn Hubler Loewi, Michael Matthes, Margaret Phillips, Daniel Roth, Claire Rozier, Wolfgang Rübsam, Helga Schauerte,Dong-ill Shin, Martin Souter, Norma Stevlingson, Martin Strohhäcker,Thomas Trotter, Kenneth Weir, Fritz Werner and the Hungarian Endre Kovács and Zsuzsa Elekes. Upon her death, the list of her students was described as a "who's who of the present-day organ world".

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