René Saorgin

Born in Cannes in 1928, René Saorgin began his musical studies at the Nice Conservatoire and then went to Paris to study composition with Maurice Duruflé and Noël Gallon at the Paris Conservatoire. Benefitting from the revival of the classical organ between 1955 and 1960, his knowledge and mastery of the instrument were essentially self-taught. His first appointment was as organist of the Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre in Paris ; from 1954 to 1984 he was the incumbent of the great organ of the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and professor of organ at the National Regional Conservatoire in Nice. Since 1984 he has been the titular organist of the Cathedral of the Principality of Monaco. He was director of the Ajaccio Conservatoire for three years. He has been president and founder of numerous organ associations and academies, and a member of the high commission for historical monuments for fifteen years.

René Saorgin has made recordings of the complete organ works of Buxtehude on historical organs, and Bach's Orgelbüchlein. He has recorded the music of Frescobaldi on the Ategnati organ in Brescia and the Serasi instrument in Bastia. He has recorded the organ concertos of Michel Corrette and early 19th century theatrical and military music on the organ at Tende. He has also made numerous other recordings on the harmonia mundi record label.