Jean Huré

Biography

Jean-Louis Charles Huré (17 September 1877 – 27 January 1930) was a French composer and organist. Though educated in music at a monastery in Angers, he was mostly self-taught.

Life

Born in Gien, Loiret, France, on 17 September 1877, Huré studied anthropology, composition, improvisation and medieval music at the École Saint-Maurille in Angers and served as organist at the cathedral in the city. In 1895, he moved to Paris, where he was advised by Charles-Marie Widor and Charles Koechlin to study at the Conservatory. Huré preferred to live an independent life.
From 1910, he taught at the École Normale Supérieure, where Yves Nat and Manuel Rosenthal were among his students. In 1911, Huré helped found the Paris Mozart Society; he was also a member of the short-lived Association des Compositeurs Bretons during 1912–14. He worked as organist at the churches of Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux, Saint-Martin-des-Champs and Saint-Séverin between 1911 and 1914. From 1924, he was appointed successor to Lucien Grandjany at Sacré-Cœur and from 1926, as the successor to Eugene Gigout at Saint-Augustin. Between 1924 and 1926, Huré edited and published a monthly journal called L'Orgue et les Organistes.

In addition to a number of organ works, Huré composed a comic opera and a ballet, three symphonies and chamber works. In 2010, a CD with works by Huré was recorded, featuring a four-movement sonata for violin and piano and a piano quintet performed by the Quatuor Louvigny and pianist Marie-Josephe Jude.
Huré died in Paris on 27 January 1930.