René Vierne (b. March 11th, 1878 in Lille; d. May 29th near Verdun) was a French composer and organist.



The younger brother of the famous organist, Louis Vierne, René entered a Catholic seminary in Versailles. He soon began taking organ lessons from his brother and in 1899 began studying under Alexandre Guilmant at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won first prize in the organ discipline in 1906.



During his studies he was the organist in the Dominican church on the Rue du Fauborg Saint-Honoré. In 1904 he succeeded the late Camille Andrès as organist for the church of Notre Dame des Champs.



In 1914 Vierne was called into military service. On May 29th, 1918 he lost his life to an Austrian grenade near Verdun.



Vierne left behind polyphonic compositions for the organ and harmonium as well as a Méthode d’harmonium.