Émile André Poillot () (10 March 1886 – 22 June 1948) was a French

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

, and

pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

Life

Émile Poillot was born in

Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...

Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or () is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, on . He received his first musical training from his father, Jules Poillot, who has been playing the choir organ of the Saint-Michel church in

during 54 years. In 1895, Émile Poillot joined the choir of the

Dijon Cathedral Dijon Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Saint Benignus of Dijon (), is a Roman Catholic church architecture, church located in the town of Dijon, Burgundy (region), Burgundy, France, and dedicated to Saint Benignus of Dijon. The Gothic architectur ...

, directed by the Reverend Father René Moissenet, whose brother and assistant, the Reverend Father Joseph Moissenet, gave him piano lessons and introduced him to play the organ. In 1900, he went to the

Conservatory in Adolph Dietrich's piano and harmony classes. He won a first prize in piano performance in 1901 and in harmony in 1902. In October 1903, he entered the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

, where he studied piano in

Isidor Philipp Isidor Edmond Philipp (first name sometimes spelled Isidore) (2 September 1863 – 20 February 1958) was a French pianist, composer, and pedagogue of Jewish Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris. Biography Isidor Philipp ...

’s class and received a first prize in piano performance under Philipp's successor,

Édouard Risler Joseph-Édouard Risler (23 February 1873 – 22 July 1929) was a French pianist. Biography Risler was born in Baden-Baden (Germany) of a German mother and an Alsatian father. He studied under Louis Diémer, Théodore Dubois and Émile Decomb ...

, in 1907. Then he studied organ with Alexandre Guilmant and

Louis Vierne Louis Victor Jules Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1900 until his death. As a composer, much of his output was Organ (music), organ music, including six ...

and received a first prize in organ performance and improvisation under Guilmant's successor, Eugène Gigout, in 1911: Poillot also studied the history of music with Maurice Emmanuel. From 1904 to 1907, at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, Poillot was assistant to Maurice Emmanuel, the choirmaster, and substitute for Leon Cazajus, the choir organist, during the tenure of

Charles Tournemire Charles Arnould Tournemire (22 January 1870 – 3 or 4 November 1939) was a French composer and organist, notable partly for his improvisations, which were often rooted in the music of Gregorian chant. His compositions include eight symphon ...

at the great organ. In 1911, he was named the regular organist at the Cathedral of St. Benignus in

. He played the organ during 36 years, until his death. In 1919, he was appointed as professor of piano at the Conservatory of

and this position he held for 25 years. He died in

on . André Fleury took over from him in 1949 as organist at the Cathedral of St. Benignus and professor of piano at the Conservatory of

. Among his students were Michel Chapuis and Ralph L. Grosvenor. His grandson, Michel Poillot, is the organist of the Basilica Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Garde in

Longpont-sur-Orge Longpont-sur-Orge (, literally ''Longpont on Orge'') is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. From 1954 to 1962, the villa in Longpont-sur-Orge owned by William and Noma Copley served as a social hub and a ...

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, since 1997. A street is named after him in

Performer

As an organist, Poillot falls within the tradition of performers and improvisers of the French school of the early twentieth century. He was particularly known for his brilliant improvisations. At that time, it was rare to hear the organ outside the offices or religious events. However, some concerts have marked his career, such as the broadcast performance he gave on 19 March 1932 at the

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by the acoustician Gustave Lyon together with the architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed i ...

. As a pianist, Émile Poillot gave many concerts, solo or as accompanist. He accompanied his friend cellist

Maurice Maréchal Maurice Maréchal (3 October 1892 – 19 April 1964) was a French classical cellist. Maurice Maréchal was born in Dijon at the home of his parents, Jules Jacques Maréchal, an employee for Posts and Telegraphs, and Martha Justine Morier. Afte ...

during several tours in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(1925 and 1926), in

(1928), in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

(7 August 1933), and in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

(August and September 1933).

Compositions

*''Allegretto in E'' (May 1913), revised by Yves Cuenot, who interpreted it on 2 June 2013 at the great organ of

. *''Ave Maria'' (1918), Lyon, Janin Frères, Éditeurs, J.F. 1023, ''To my dear and revered Master the Canon René Moissenet, Chapel Master of the

''.

Dedications

* Maurice Emmanuel, ''Three pieces for organ or harmonium'' Op. 14 (1892-1911), ''to Émile Poillot'' (1892). *

, ''The Mystical Organ'', 51 Offices of the Liturgical Year based on the freely paraphrased Gregorian chants, cycle after Pentecost, No. 40, Op. 57, Domenica XIV post Pentecosten, ''to his friend Poillot, organist of the

'' (1934). *

, ''Twenty-four pieces in free style'', Op. 31, Book II (1913), 24. Postlude, Quasi fantasia ''to Émile Poillot''.

Premieres

*''3 anacreontic odelets'', Op. 13 (1911), written by Maurice Emmanuel, on 27 March 1912 in

. *''First sonatina for piano'', called ''Burgundian'', Op. 4 (1893), written by Maurice Emmanuel, on 14 March 1923 in

Dole, Jura Dole (, sometimes pronounced ) is a commune in the eastern French department of Jura, of which it is a subprefecture (''sous-préfecture''). History Dole was the capital of Franche-Comté until Louis XIV conquered the region; he shifted t ...

. *''Second sonatina for piano'', called ''Pastoral'', Op. 5 (1897), written by Maurice Emmanuel, on 11 November 1922 in

Beaune Beaune (; in Burgundian: ''Beane'') is widely considered to be the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and a major ...

Côte d'Or Côte Restaurants Group Limited, trading as Côte (formerly Côte Brasserie), stylised as CÔTE is a French-style British restaurant chain founded by Richard Caring, Andy Bassadone, Chris Benians and Nick Fiddler in Wimbledon, London Wimbl ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poillot, Emile French classical organists 20th-century French male classical pianists 20th-century French classical pianists Organ improvisers French cathedral organists Pupils of Isidor Philipp Pupils of Alexandre Guilmant Pupils of Louis Vierne Conservatoire de Paris alumni Musicians from Dijon 1886 births 1948 deaths 20th-century French organists French male classical organists