René Alix

French organist, choral conductor and composer

École César Franck

Occupations

Classical organist
Choral conductor
Composer

AwardsGrand Prix de la Ville de Paris (1962)

René Alix (14 September 1907 – 30 December 1966) was a French organist, choral conductor and composer.

Biography

Born in Sotteville-lès-Rouen, René Alix studied music in Rouen with Marcel Lanquetuit, in Paris with Georges Caussade and Albert Bertelin. He was organist at the Saint-Michel church of Le Havre from 1929 to 1939. In 1945 he directed the choirs of the RTF then in 1954 he was appointed director of the École César Franck. The author of a reference musical grammar, he has written piano and organ pieces, masses, one string quartet, melodies, symphonic poems, (Les Revenants, Danses, Confidences) and an oratorio, Les Saintes Heures de Jeanne d'Arc (1954).

In 1962, he was awarded the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris.

Alix died in Paris on 30 December 1966

Works

Opera

Yolande, opéra comique (1937)

Orchestral music

Revenants, ballade symphonique (1945)
Suite brève, for piano and strings (1948)
Concerto pour piano et orchestre, Op. 16 (1949)
Danses et confidences, suite (1950)

Choral music

Les Très saintes heures de Jeanne d'Arc, oratorio (1954)
Messe, for soloists, choir and orchestra (1955)
Messe matutinale, for a cappella choir (1958)

Chamber music

Sonata for violin and piano (1938)
2 string quartets (1954)

Sources

Alain Pâris, Dictionnaire des interprètes Bouquins/Laffont 1988, (p. 149)
Baker, Theodore; Slonimsky, Nicolas (1995). Dictionnaire biographique des musiciens Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Bouquins (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: Éditions Robert Laffont. p. 57. ISBN 2-221-06510-7.