Pipe organs of Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate de Nice, Cathedral pipe organs in Nice, France

The pipe organs of Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate number three. The main instrument, built by Jean-Loup and Robert Boisseau in 1974, stands on a wooden tribune above the narthex: five clusters of tall silver metal pipes rise from a dark brown carved case, with a lower row of shorter pipes behind carved panels, and a round blue and pale yellow window above the centre. It has 70 stops, 4 manual keyboards and pedal, and 4,608 pipes. A choir organ sits left of the transept, and a third organ stands in the Maîtrise rehearsal room.

The cathedral had an organ by the early 17th century. In 1794 Honoré Grinda removed its 212 pipes and restored it in 1805; Josué Agati restored it again in 1831. The Serassi firm installed a 77-rank organ in 1848, and Florentin Martella built a Romantic instrument inaugurated by Louis Vierne on 16 December 1901. Jean-Loup and Robert Boisseau built the current grand organ in 1974 on plans by Pierre Cochereau.

The cathedral's organs have been played by a line of titular organists: Charles-Marie Pollet from 1901 to 1913, Albert Ribollet from 1913 to 1962, Jean Wallet from 1962 to 2004, Catherine Hyvert from 2004 to 2020, and Stéphane Eliot since 2020, assisted by his son Antoine. The 1901 organ was inaugurated on 16 December by Louis Vierne, recently appointed organist of Notre-Dame de Paris.

You can hear the organs during services at the cathedral or at special concert events held regularly. If you want to see the instruments close up, visit when music is being performed there.

The 1974 instrument was built to plans by Pierre Cochereau, organist of Notre-Dame de Paris; the source notes that no other French organ shows his hand so clearly, apart from Notre-Dame's own grand organ to a lesser degree. It has 70 stops and 4,608 pipes.