Maurice Duruflé

Maurice Gustave Duruflé was a French composer, organist, musicologist, and teacher, most famous for his Requiem op. 9. Born in Louviers in 1902, he studied at the Rouen Cathedral Choir School and later at the Conservatoire de Paris. Duruflé was also a distinguished organist, serving as the assistant to Louis Vierne at Notre-Dame and later as titular organist at St-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris. He was Professor of Harmony at the Conservatoire de Paris. Awarded the Legion d'honneur, Duruflé was known for his perfectionism in composition, leaving a legacy of well-polished music. He died in 1986, following a car accident that led to a cessation of his performing career.