Originally from South-West France, Frédéric Blanc improvised at a young age on the piano and organ and then decided to devote himself definitively to music. After his studies at the Conservatories of Toulouse and Bordeaux, he perfected his skills in particular with Pierre Cogen, André Fleury, Marie-Claire Alain and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé.
He has won several international competitions: improvisation winner of the international competition “Grand Prix de Chartres” (second prize in 1996), and “Premier Grand Prix” of the international competition of the City of Paris. He leads an active concert career: recitals as a soloist or with orchestra, accompanist, radio broadcasts, conferences and master classes (Royal Academy of Music, London…) on French music or improvisation throughout Europe as well as in the USA. He is the guest of many festivals: Friedrichshafen, Bonn, Chartres, Roquevaire, Toulouse les Orgues, and Rome, just to name a few.
Frédéric Blanc is a member of the organ commission of the City of Paris and a member of the unprotected organ commission at the Music Department of the Ministry of Culture.
He has recorded for the firms Motette, EMI, Aeolus, Baroque Notes. His recordings are hailed by critics who see him, as one of the most brilliant organist-improvisers of the French organ school.
He is the author of a study devoted to André Fleury (the Organ – Cahiers et Mémoires) and of a work devoted to the memories and writings of Maurice Duruflé (Éditions Séguier, Paris) as well as of several reconstructions of improvisations by Pierre Cochereau (Éditions Butz).
He has held the positition of Titulair Organist of the Cavaillé-Coll grand organ at Notre-Dame d’Auteuil church in Paris since January 1999, and musical director of the Maurice and Madeleine Duruflé Association.
Maurice Duruflé Academy of Music 