Camille Saint-Saëns was a composer, pianist, and organist.

Born in Paris, he studied at the Conservatoire. In 1857 he became organist at the Church de la Madeleine in Paris. His music is in the classical tradition, and can be colorful and expressive.

He was a child prodigy, and pursued his musical career until his death at age 86. His work include the symphonic poem Danse macabre (1875), the opera Sanson et Dalila (1877), the orchestral Carnaval des animaux (1866), and others.

There's no question about his homosexuality; he was reported to have had a marked preference for Algerian boys, and was a devotee of Parisian pissoirs even in old age. Once, when asked if he were gay, he replied, famously, "I am not a homosexual, but a pederast."