Jean-Esprit Isnard

Jean-Esprit Isnard (1707–1781) was a French pipe organ builder.

Biography

Early life Jean-Esprit Isnard was born in 1707. He was baptised in the Église Saint-Laurent in Bédarrides. Many of his pipe organs can be found in Roman Catholic churches in Provence. In 1742, as a lay brother, he restored the pipe organ inside the Église Sainte-Marthe in Tarascon. He went on to build the pipe organs inside the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur, also in Aix. In, together with his brother Joseph Isnard, he built the pipe organ inside the Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume from 1772 to 1774.

Additionally, he taught Jean-Pierre Cavaillé, the father of Dominique Cavaillé-Coll and grandfather of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811-1899), how to build pipe organs.

Death He died in 1781 in Tarascon, where he is buried.

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