Composer. A native of Forcalquier, France, he first studied music in Billom, in the region of Auvergne, then in Paris. At the age of ten and a half, he became one of the youngest pupils of the Academy of Paris and one of rare to bend the frightening director, Luigi Cherubini. César Franck and Jacques Offenbach were among his school-fellows. After a few years of travelling all over Europe, he crossed the Atlantic in July 1849 to take the post of organist of the cathedral Our-Lady of Québec. He kept this function until 1864, when he resigned following a disagreement with Ernest Gagnon. He went to New York City where the Jesuits offered him the post of organist of the the Saint-François-Xavier church. Even if this new station was pecuniarily interesting for the father of seven children, this stay in the American metropolis was rather painful. Moreover, his health was already defective. In 1869, he came back to Québec accepting this time the post of organist of the biggest parish in the city of Saint-Roch. In December 1869, he founded the choral society known as “Société musicale Sainte-Cécile”. In 1870, his efforts related especially to the installation of an academy on the model of that of Paris. Unfortunately, his health condition worsened and he had to reduce his activities. During his career, he wrote more than 50 compositions, divided almost evenly between sacred music and profane, He died in his adoptive city.
Composer. A native of Forcalquier, France, he first studied music in Billom, in the region of Auvergne, then in Paris. At the age of ten and a half, he became one of the youngest pupils of the Academy of Paris and one of rare to bend the frightening director, Luigi Cherubini. César Franck and Jacques Offenbach were among his school-fellows. After a few years of travelling all over Europe, he crossed the Atlantic in July 1849 to take the post of organist of the cathedral Our-Lady of Québec. He kept this function until 1864, when he resigned following a disagreement with Ernest Gagnon. He went to New York City where the Jesuits offered him the post of organist of the the Saint-François-Xavier church. Even if this new station was pecuniarily interesting for the father of seven children, this stay in the American metropolis was rather painful. Moreover, his health was already defective. In 1869, he came back to Québec accepting this time the post of organist of the biggest parish in the city of Saint-Roch. In December 1869, he founded the choral society known as “Société musicale Sainte-Cécile”. In 1870, his efforts related especially to the installation of an academy on the model of that of Paris. Unfortunately, his health condition worsened and he had to reduce his activities. During his career, he wrote more than 50 compositions, divided almost evenly between sacred music and profane, He died in his adoptive city.
Bio by: Guy Gagnon
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