Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749) was a French musician, best known as… Read Full Bio ↴Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749) was a French musician, best known as an organist and composer.

Born in Paris on the 19th December 1676, Clérambault came from a musical family (his father and two of his sons were also musicians). While very young, he learned to play the violon and harpsichord, and he studied the organ with André Raison. He also studied composition and voice.

Clérambault became the organist at the church of the Grands-Augustins, and entered the service of Madame de Maintenon. After the death of Louis XIV and Nivers, he succeeded the latter at the organ of the church of Saint-Sulpice and the royal house of Saint-Cyr, an institution for young girls from the poor nobility. He was responsible there for music, the organ, directing chants and choir, etc.

It was in this post - it remained his after the death of Madame de Maintenon - that he developed the genre of the "French cantata" of which he was the uncontested master. In 1719 he succeeded his teacher André Raison at the organs of the church of the Grands-Jacobins.

He died in Paris on the 26th October 1749.