2010-04-15/2019-12-16 - From Organ Database editor James Stettner, December 16, 2019. — Clele d’Autremont (also known as Clele D’Autrey) (12/13/1914 – 01/02/1978) was a native and life-long resident of Portland, Oregon. He was a prominent Portland organist equally at home on the theatre organ and church organ. From the early 1950s to early 1970s he was sole proprietor of D’Autrey Organ Sales and Service and also served as Portland Representative for the Canadian pipe organ firm, Casavant Freres Ltd. of Quebec. In September 1949, he was recommended for a contract to service the 4-manual / 50-rank E.M. Skinner (1916) organ in Portland’s Civic Auditorium. D’Autremont (D’Autrey) is credited with building several pipe organs in Oregon and Washington in the 1960s including instruments for Walla Walla College (Washinton), Good Shepherd Lutheran (Portland), St. Benedicts Abbey Church (Oregon), and Trinity Lutheran (Vancouver, Washington). He also built a new console for the Estey Organ of First Church of Christ, Scientist (Spokane, Washington). During the period of 1937-1940, Clele D’Autrey was a featured organist at the School for Brides, in the 10th Floor Auditorium of Portland’s famed Meier & Frank Department Store. The platform on which the school was conducted also became the KEX radio station’s studio for special musical events and programs. During this period, D’Autrey performed solo organ broadcasts as well as accompanying vocalists and performing as a member of a trio that included Abe Berkowitz, violin and Michael Arenstein, cello. A photo in the May 20, 1937 issue of The Oregonian, shows D’Autrey at the console of KEX radio’s 3-manual / 9-rank Wurlitzer theatre organ in the station’s broadcast studio. Sources: Jim Wallrabenstein. Polk's 1952 Portland City Directory. Clele D'Autry's son.
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