Roth, Daniel

Roth, Daniel , distinguished French organist, pedagogue, and composer; b. Mulhouse, Oct. 31, 1942. He went to Paris, where he studied with Marie-Claire Alain and Maurice Duruflé at the Cons. At the age of 20, he made his recital debut at the organ of the Basilique Sacré-Coeur. In 1963 he became its asst. organist, and then was its titular organist from 1972 to 1985. He won the Grand Prix de Chartres in 1971. After teaching at the Marseilles Cons. in 1973–74, he served as artist-in-residence of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and as chairman of the organ dept. at the Catholic Univ. of America in Washington, D.C., from 1974 to 1976. He then taught again at the Marseilles Cons. from 1976 to 1979. From 1977 he made regular tours of the U.S. and Canada while pursuing an active career as a recitalist in Europe and Japan. He taught at the Strasbourg Cons. from 1979 to 1988. In 1985 he became titular organist at St.-Sulpice in Paris. He also taught at the Saarbrücken Hochschule für Musik from 1974 to 1976. He then tau ght a gain at the Frankfurt am Main Hochschule für Musik. In 1986 he was made a Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres. As a virtuoso, Roth is especially known for his mastery of improvisations, which he regularly includes in his recitals. He has composed many organ pieces and several transcriptions. Among his other works are a number of choral pieces, including Dignare me O fesu for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1990), and Ain Karïm, a fantasy for Flute and Organ (1995).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire