Franchomme, Auguste (-Joseph)

views updated

Franchomme, Auguste (-Joseph)

Franchomme, Auguste (-Joseph), famous French cellist; b. Lille, April 10, 1808; d. Paris, Jan. 21, 1884. He studied at the Lille Cons., then with Levasseur and Norblin at the Paris Cons. He then played cello in various opera houses, and in 1828 became solo cellist of the Royal Chapel and was a founding member of the Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire. In 1846 he was appointed prof, at the Paris Cons. He was an intimate friend of Chopin, and with Halle and Alard, established evenings of chamber music in Paris. He wrote cello pieces, mostly in variation form, and operatic potpourris.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

More From encyclopedia.com