French composer born in 1844

French organist, composer and teacher Charles-Marie Widor was born in Lyon on 21 February 1844. His family were organ builders, and he studied initially with his father, then moved to Brussels for organ tuition with Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens and composition studies with François-Joseph Fétis.  He then moved to Paris, where, a year later, he became organist at Saint-Sulpice.

He also travelled internationally as one of the world's leading organists.

As a composer, Widor wrote operas, a ballet, orchestral works, songs and choral works, and chamber and piano music. He's best known for his organ music, and in particular for his ten organ symphonies.

The Toccata from Symphony No 5 and the first movement of the sixth symphony are particularly well known.

For six years he was organ professor at the Paris Conservatoire, and then became composition professor, where his students included Marcel Dupré, Darius Milhaud, Charles Tournemire, Ed