#organists

Organist, composer, and conductor Elfrida Andrée was born in 1841 in Visby, Sweden. Andrée first became a professional organist in 1857. Ten years later, she became organist of Gothenburg Cathedral, and stayed in this role for the rest of her life. In 1879, she became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. As a composer, Andrée's body of work included roughly twenty solo songs, as well as organ pieces, choral songs, and symphonies. When her orchestral symphony in A minor (No.2) was performed in Dresden in 1904, Andrée herself was the conductor.

Marie-Claire Alain was born in 1926 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. Alain was regarded as one of the finest organists of the second half of the twentieth century. Over the course of her musical career, she gave more than 2000 concerts and made over 260 recordings. Alain was known for her interpretations of Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Franck, and for her recording of three complete cycles of the works of Bach. She was also a sought-after educator with several notable pupils. She won received many awards and honors, including being made a grand officer of the Légion d'Honneur.