Augustin Barié

Augustin Barié (15 November 1883 – 22 August 1915), was a French composer and organist. Barié was born in Paris, and was blind from birth; however, he had large hands which spanned an eleventh, allowing him to play the difficult organ works of composers such as César Franck with relative ease. He studied at the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles under Adolphe Marty and Louis Vierne, then went on to study with Alexandre Guilmant at the Paris Conservatory. In 1906, he was awarded the Conservatory's premier prix. He then became organist at St Germain-des-Prés in Paris, as well as professor of organ at the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles. Barié was a celebrated improviser, one of a long line of French Romantic virtuoso organists, and he wrote mostly for organ, including a Symphony (Op. 5) and Trois Pieces (Op. 7). His career was cut short when he died of a brain hemorrhage in Antony, France at the age of 31, not long after getting married.