(b c1640; d Paris, 1693). French organist . He was a member of a family of musicians active over several centuries, most of them as organists. He was organist of the Paris churches of St André-des-Arts in 1656, St Germain-des-Prés in 1667 and of St Jacques-de-la-Boucherie in 1669. In 1678 he was nominated organiste du roi, the highest appointment in the land. Thomelin was clearly one of the most talented organists of his generation; Titon du Tillet (Le Parnasse françois, Paris, 1732/R) reported that crowds flocked to hear him on feast days. From the same source we learn that Thomelin taught François Couperin (ii), becoming ‘a second father’ to him following the early death of François’s natural father; on his death Thomelin was succeeded at court by his pupil. There is no trace of Thomelin’s organ music, if indeed he ever committed any of it to paper, but an unexceptional allemande for harpsichord survives (ed. in L’organiste liturgique, xviii, Paris, ...