Charles M. Courboin

Charles M. Courboin
Charles M. Courboin, late 1920s
Born	April 2, 1884 [1] Antwerp, Belgium[1]
Died	April 13, 1973 New York City[2]
Nationality	Belgium, USA
Known for	Charles M. Courboin, organ virtuoso[3]

Charles M. Courboin (1884–1973) was an Belgian-American organ virtuoso who enjoyed immense popularity during the 1920s. During this time he was engaged by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker to oversee the second enlargement of the Wanamaker Organ. He added the huge string and orchestral sections bringing it to 461 ranks and 28,482 pipes. He also served as Director of Music for St. Patrick Cathedral, New York City from 1943 until his retirement in 1968 ^[4] .

Courboin was born on July 13, 1884 in Belgium. He showed musical aptitude at an early age when he was able to play concertos and symphonies by ear. He studied piano at for five years at the Antwerp School of Music and at age 12 was appointed organist at Notre Dame College. He then studied under Alphonse Mailly at the Brussels Conservatory where he won the International Organ Prize over 8 other contestants. At age 18 he became organist at Antwerp Cathedral.^[1]

Courboin came to the United States in 1904 to serve as organist at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Oswego, New York. He was recommended for the position by organ virtuoso Alexandre Guilmant who played a recital at the church following his 'famous forty' concerts at the St Louis Exposition organ during the 1904 World's Fair. That instrument would later be purchased by Wanamaker and comprises the nucleus of Philadelphia's Wanamaker Organ. It was while serving at St. Paul that Courboin would first meet then Syracuse organ professor Alexander Russell who would later serve as music director for the Wanamaker stores and as Courboin's personal manager.

In 1915 Courboin became organist of the First Baptist Church, Syracuse New York where he played the a 4 manual Casavant Frères organ the largest in New York State outside of New York City.^[5] This organ was later relocated to Jacoby Symphony Hall, Jacksonville, Florida by the Quimby Organ Company.^[6]

In 1918 Courboin was appointed civic organist for the city of Springfield, Massachusetts where he performed on a 4 manual Steere organ.^[7]

In late 1921 Courboin left his Syracuse position to assume the role of organist of Hickory Presbyterian Church in Scranton PA where he played a Casavant organ built to his design. The move was made in part to ease Courboin's travels to both New York and Philadelphia for his many concert engagements at the Wanamaker stores.

Courboin had a major career break in 1919 when he was chosen by Dr. Russell along with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra to perform the rededication concert for the newly enlarged Wanamaker Organ. Fifteen thousand people attended this event with an equal number being turned away.

Thereafter Courboin continued to be one of the favorite performers for the Wanamaker organization under Dr. Russell. During this period he gave several recitals at both the Philadelphia and New York stores, the latter housing a 4 manual Austin organ greatly expanded in the early 1920s by the Wanamaker Organ Shop with Courboin's assistance (to 4 manuals, 115 stops, 118 ranks and 7,422 pipes).^[8]

In 1926 Courboin would be employed by Wanamaker to spearhead the second expansion of the Wanamaker Organ thus maintaining its position as the largest organ in the World. Although he server under a committee chaired by Dr. Russell Courboin's wishes were largely carried out.

In 1928 Courboin was appointed sub-organist at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City. In 1943 he was promoted to Music Director and Organist at the Cathedral where he played a 4 manual Kilgen organ which he had been part of the design and was installed under the direction of his predecessor, Pietro Yon.

Although Yon and Courboin were both excellent organists their approach to St Patrick's Cathedral was somewhat different. Yon had been an excellent singer whereas Courboin was more of an organist. As a result vocal music was somewhat deemphasized during the Courboin period and St. Patrick's became thought of as an organists church.

In 1948 Courboin formed a fifty voice boy's choir drawing on St. Ann's Academy on nearby Lexington Avenue as a source of talent. The choir had their debit on December 13, 1948 and became very popular, possibly due to their non-religious appearances and those on television. In spite of its popularity the choir was dissolved under Courboin some 20 years later.

He retired in 1968 and was replaced by Edward Rivetti until John Grady was appointed Director of Music in 1970.

Courboin died on April 13, 1973. Cardinal Cook celebrated is funeral mass at St Patrick Cathedral. There was absolutely no press coverage.

Courboin was buried in a cemetery plot shared by the family of Firmin Swinnen a distinguished Belgian-American organist and long time friend. A running joke between the two centered on their fondness for a particular brand of cream ail and their insistence that they be buried with several cases. It's not known if they were able to accomplish this project.

Courboin taught at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore where he had several gifted students including Richard Purvis, Virgil Fox and Clair Coci.

In 1921 Leopold Stokowsky bestowed upon Courboin the 'Couronne d'honneur' award commissioned by Rodman Wanamaker. King Albert of Belgium bestowed on him the office of the Chevalier of the order of King Leopold II. In 1934 Temple University granted an honorary doctorate. He also received a Papal medal for his performance for Pope Paul VI in 1965.

In addition to his musical credentials Courboin held a degree in engineering. Perhaps for this reason Courboin was throughout his life a great enthusiast of things fast, cars, boats and even airplanes. Courboin was among thr first organists if his generation to actually own an automobile and at one time he owned a stutz-bearcatcar equipped with an aircraft engine.

He was also a member of the St. Wilfrid Club, a private organization open to the most notable organists in the New York City area.

Courboin was known for his musical memory and most commonly performed without a score. He and his students were exponents of the orchestral style of organ playing displaying an unabashed sentimentality. This mastery of musical sentiment was validated when Courboin was chosen to be one of the first organists to be recorded on RCA's premier label, the Red Seal.

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