Camille Saint‐Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) was a French composer, organist and virtuoso pianist whose work bridges classical formal clarity and Romantic expressiveness. He composed in many genres, including symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber music and choral works, and is noted for refined orchestration, melodic invention and virtuoso keyboard writing; his Third Symphony, often called the Organ Symphony, and the suite Carnival of the Animals are among his well known pieces. Saint-Saëns was an active performer and teacher in French musical life and favored craftsmanship and balance in his compositions.