Guillaume-Antoine Calvière

Guillaume-Antoine Calvière (1695 - 18 April 1755) was a virtuoso French musician and composer who was for many years organist of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. Early years Guillaume-Antoine Calvière was born in Paris around 1695, the son of Rodolphe Calvière and Jeanne Boundin. He was a pupil of Philippe Isoré de La Fontaine, who spent his whole career until his death in 1733 as organist of Saint-Denis. Calvière was gifted and precocious, and made his first public performance at the age of eleven. Calvière’s younger sister Cécile Louise Calvière, born in 1703, was also an organist. Celebrity Calvière became organist of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 1722, and in 1730 succeeded Maderic Corneille as organist at Notre Dame. He became a national celebrity, and the Mercure published verses in his praise. He held the prestigious posts of organist of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1730 until his death 1755, and of the Royal Chapel from 1738. Calvière was appointed organist of Sainte-Chapelle in succession to Pierre Février, holding this position from 1739 until his death. He was also organist at Sainte-Marguerite. For six months in 1754 he trained Jean-Baptiste Nôtre, who the