Notre-Dame: The Lifelong Mission of Itaru Sekiguchi
Notre-Dame de Paris under restoration in March 2024, as preparations for its grand reopening on December 7, 2024, are well underway. ©Alain E. Andrea / Ici Beyrouth

Itaru Sekiguchi, a Japanese organ builder, has dedicated his life to restoring the iconic great organ of Notre-Dame, a mission deeply personal and crucial to the cathedral's revival after the 2019 fire.

At the age of 10, Itaru Sekiguchi experienced a shock that would change the course of his life. "A deafening sound," he recalls. He first heard it while standing in front of the great organ of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. This pivotal moment sparked an uncontrollable passion for music and the "king of instruments," a love that, forty years later, still fills his days and nights.

A Rare Craft

Originally from Sendai, Japan, Itaru moved to France in his twenties with a clear dream: to become an organ builder. "I wanted to come to France because this is where it happens," he now says, speaking impeccable French in an interview with AFP. But his decision surprised his family, who struggled to understand such a bold choice, as the idea of working on such a complex instrument seemed distant, even unrealistic. Now 54 years old, Itaru has seen his dream realized by becoming one of the few craftsmen to fully understand the great organ of Notre-Dame down to its smallest details. Since 2018, he has been the official organ builder of the cathedral, responsible for its daily maintenance. However, the tragedy of the 2019 fire shook his life and tested his bond with this exceptional instrument.

Colors and Tones

"I was afraid for the organ," he admits, recalling the anxiety of not knowing whether the instrument would survive the disaster. The fire ravaged much of the cathedral, but fortunately, the great organ, although threatened by smoke and extreme temperatures, was spared from the flames. However, the collateral damage was significant. Lead residue penetrated the instrument, and the intense heat weakened its wooden parts. Disassembled for the third time in its history—after renovations in 1990 and 2014—the great organ is currently undergoing restoration. More than 8,000 pipes were carefully removed and began to be reinstalled in 2023, alongside the restoration of the nave. It is here that Itaru works, alongside organ builders from across France, to restore the instrument's original tone. It is a delicate mission, especially as Olivier Chevron explains, "A pipe can produce 1,000 different sounds," and achieving the exact sound of the organ is both a technical and artistic challenge.

A Herculean Task

But for Itaru, the task is even more personal. After spending years maintaining the organ, he relies on "his memories" to restore the instrument's unique tonal quality. "It's hard to describe the sound of the great organ. For me, it has the sound color of the cathedral. It was a warm instrument, not tense, not aggressive," recalls Bertrand Cattiaux, former head of organ maintenance and Itaru’s mentor. For this Japanese man who has lived in Corrèze for over 25 years, working on such a symbol of French heritage is both an honor and a heavy responsibility. "It's just incredible," he says. "It means so much—honor, but also burdens and responsibilities." As the great organ is expected to come back to life with the reopening of Notre-Dame on December 7, Itaru will finally be able to savor, with his colleagues, the fruits of this Herculean effort.

With AFP

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