ORGANS OF PARIS © 2026 Vincent Hildebrandt HOME ALL ORGANS
In Paris, the Montmartre district had plaster quarries,
widely used in the 19th century. Around 1860, as the
population grew, the need for a new place of worship
became clear, but the city council rejected the idea of
building a new church. In 1891, the archdiocese
enlarged the former Chapel of Works, located within a
hospital and served by the Augustinian sisters.
The chapel was elevated to the status of a parish church
in 1907 under the name St. Genevieve, and was
expanded again in 1908.
The church is built of grindstone and cement. The
interior is beautifully decorated with arched vaults set
against a luminous white, typical of the religious art of
the early 20th century.
1890 - Cavaillé-Coll (1)
1909 - Mutin (3a)
1955 - Müller (6)
1981 - Barbéris (6)
2016 - Bernard Cogez (5)
2026 - Yves Koenig (3a)
III/25 - mechanical traction
Stoplist
C4
The instrument, originally built for the Berlioz Theatre in Paris
(Rue de Clichy), was designed by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1890.
In 1909, it was transferred to St. Genevieve's Church, and the
console was then modified by Charles Mutin.
In 1955, Erwin Muller transformed the Octavin of the Grand
Organ into a Doublette. In 1981, Barbéris was commissioned
to carry out work on mechanics.
In 2016, the organ was restored partially by Bernard Cogez.
In 2025, an overhaul by Yves Koenig.
In 2025, restoration work by Yves Koenig:
Mutin’s intervention left no element untouched. The case,
currently painted in faux oak, the windchests, and even the
pipework were modified.
The organ comprises twenty-two stops distributed across
three manuals and pedalboard. Both the Positif and Récit
divisions are expressive, and all windchests are slider chests.
This organ must regain its original coherence, lost for over a
century. The internal layout will be redesigned to ensure a
clear and simple mechanical action. All key and stop actions
will be rebuilt following the methods of Cavaillé-Coll. Finally,
the instrument’s tonal palette will be enriched with a 16’
Quintaton, an 8’ Clarinet, a 4’ Clairon, and a 2’ Octavin.
The organ will be fully reassembled and reinstalled on its
gallery in early 2026.
There is a temporary replacement organ, provided on loan by the organ
builder. It is the former Saby organ from the CNSM in Lyon.
En restauration jusqu'en 2026
The organs of Paris
ORGANS OF PARIS © 2026 Vincent Hildebrandt ALL ORGANS
C4
The instrument, originally built for the Berlioz Theatre in
Paris (Rue de Clichy), was designed by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in
1890.
In 1909, it was transferred to St. Genevieve's Church, and the
console was then modified by Charles Mutin.
In 1955, Erwin Muller transformed the Octavin of the Grand
Organ into a Doublette. In 1981, Barbéris was commissioned
to carry out work on mechanics.
In 2016, the organ was restored partially by Bernard Cogez.
In 2025, an overhaul by Yves Koenig.
In 2025, restoration work by Yves Koenig:
Mutin’s intervention left no element untouched. The case,
currently painted in faux oak, the windchests, and even the
pipework were modified.
The organ comprises twenty-two stops distributed across
three manuals and pedalboard. Both the Positif and Récit
divisions are expressive, and all windchests are slider chests.
This organ must regain its original coherence, lost for over a
century. The internal layout will be redesigned to ensure a
clear and simple mechanical action. All key and stop actions
will be rebuilt following the methods of Cavaillé-Coll. Finally,
the instrument’s tonal palette will be enriched with a 16’
Quintaton, an 8’ Clarinet, a 4’ Clairon, and a 2’ Octavin.
The organ will be fully reassembled and reinstalled on its
gallery in early 2026.
There is a temporary replacement organ, provided on loan by the organ
builder. It is the former Saby organ from the CNSM in Lyon.
1890 - Cavaillé-Coll (1)
1909 - Mutin (3a)
1955 - Müller (6)
1981 - Barbéris (6)
2016 - Bernard Cogez (5)
2026 - Yves Koenig (3a)
III/25 - mechanical traction
Stoplist
En restauration jusqu'en 2026