One of the last organists to play in Notre Dame before flames ravaged the centuries-old cathedral last spring is coming to D.C. for a free concert.
Olivier Latry will perform a concert at St. Ann Catholic Church in Northwest D.C. Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. in honor of the church’s 150th anniversary.
Latry was appointed one of the cathedral’s three titular organists in 1985. His album “Bach to the Future” was recorded in the cathedral in January and released after the fire.
The French ambassador to the U.S., Phillipe Étienne, is slated to attend Latry’s performance.
During his appearance, Latry is expected to address the state of the cathedral, which was heavily damaged after the massive fire broke out April 15 during a renovation project. The fire caused the cathedral’s spire to collapse and spread to one of its towers, but firefighters managed to put out the flames in time to save the historic church’s underlying structure.
Latry is also expected to address the condition of Notre Dame’s 8,000-pipe organ, which is one of the largest and most famous organs in the world. Shortly after the blaze, a Notre Dame reconstruction expert said the organ was spared by the flames. However, Latry told NPR last spring the organ’s wind chest suffered water damage from firefighters’ efforts to put out the fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged a speedy five-year timetable for reconstruction that some critics contend is unrealistic.
