Jean Langlais Cortège

Jean Langlais was born on 15 February 1907 in La Fontenelle, France. Langlais, who had been blind since the age of two, studied at the Institut National de Jeunes Aveugles in Paris. There he studied with Albert Mahaut, a pupil of César Franck, and with the blind organist André Marchal. His first successes were masterclass prizes at the Paris Conservatoire with Marcel Dupré and Paul Dukas. Finally, he himself taught at the National Institute for Young Blind People for 40 years. Between 1961 and 1976, he also held a professorship for organ at the Schola Cantorum. Langlais received numerous awards and enjoyed an international reputation as an improviser and organ teacher. His organ works, together with those of M. Duruflé, J. Alain and O. Messiaen, his organ works are among the most frequently performed of French modernism. Personal details