A tribute to Marie-Claire Alain by Thierry Escaich Organ concert (Bach-Alain-Escaich)

Description

Concert in tribute to the famous organist Marie-Claire Alain (who would have been a hundred years old this year) for her half-century of loyalty to Saint-Donat, and whose family history also links her to Madame de Sévigné. Centenary of Marie-Claire Alain, The First Lady of the Organ:
an exceptional tribute in Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse
August 10, 2026 marks the centenary of the birth of Marie-Claire Alain, an immense
of the organ, recognized as much for her career as a performer
and for her commitment to teaching.
To mark the occasion, a tribute concert will be held on Friday, August 21, 2026 at 8 pm at the
Collégiale Saint-Pierre & Saint-Paul in Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse. It will be given by Thierry
Thierry Escaich, titular organist at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, a musician of the first rank
musician, winner of the Victoire de la Musique 2026, and heir to the great French organ tradition.
organ tradition.
This event was conceived at the request of Aurélie Decourt-Alain, in collaboration with
Bach en Drôme, to pay tribute to Marie-Claire Alain's deep attachment to
Alain to Saint-Donat. For over half a century, she brought organ music to life here,
notably on the instrument built by Kurt Schwenkedel, and played an active part in the
development of the Johann Sebastian Bach Festival and the Académie Internationale Jean-
Sebastian Bach Academy.
With over 75 concerts given in the Drôme region from 1962 onwards, she has left a lasting mark on local
local musical life, passing on her knowledge to generations of organists from
the world. Her bond with Saint-Donat was both artistic and human, marked by a rare
loyalty.
This concert is a continuation of this mission of transmission, so dear to Marie-Claire
Alain and continued today by Thierry Escaich.
It will close the international masterclass in organ improvisation organized in August
2026, bringing together young talents. It will be preceded by an audition of the trainees in memory
of Marie-Claire.
At the crossroads of local history, the memory of an exceptional artist and the universal influence of Bach's music
the universal influence of Bach's music, this tribute will help to affirm the
Collégiale de Saint-Donat as a major cultural and heritage site.
Last but not least, Marie-Claire Alain's roots in this region also have a singular historical resonance.
through her great-grandmother, she is related to Madame de Sévigné, further reinforcing the link
the link between memory, history and territory.