Contributors

Léon Fontbonne was born in 1859 in Clermont-Ferrand. When the Franco-German War of 1870 broke out, the Fontbonne family moved to Belgium. Léon began his musical studies at the Liège Conservatoire and graduated in 1877 (flute). He also studied composition with Théodore Radoux. Some time after moving back to France, he was appointed principal flute of the Garde républicaine Orchestra in 1883, a position he held until 1908, often doubling on the piccolo. A very talented and pleasant man, Fontbonne became one of the most popular musicians of the so-called Belle Époque. He was a prolific composer adored by the Parisian public, and the darling of outdoor concert audiences. A pioneer of recordings, he achieved a level of national fame that is almost impossible to imagine today! Fontbonne left the Garde Républicaine after 25 years of service. Although he remained nostalgic about this past glory, this passionate, enthusiastic and dynamic man redirected his energy to numerous musical activities for several decades, notably as a composer and conductor. Léon Fontbonne died in Paris in 1940. The old man never tired of extolling the merits of the orchestra that had been the great adventure of his life: the Garde républicaine…