Jules Garcin

Who was Jules Garcin?

Jules Auguste Garcin [Salomon] was a French violinist, conductor and composer of the 19th century.

He was born in Bourges. His maternal grandfather, Joseph Garcin, was director of a travelling company playing opéra comique in the central and southern provinces of France.

Having entered the Paris Conservatoire in adolescence, studying under Clavel and Alard, Garcin took the premier prix for violin in 1853, and entered the Opéra orchestra in 1856.

He became solo violinist, then third conductor in 1871 and finally chief conductor in 1885. His long and successful teaching career at the Conservatoire de Paris began in 1875.

Among his notable students were the child prodigy Henri Marteau and Jules Boucherit. Garcin’s association with the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire began in 1860, again as orchestral and then as solo violinist.

In 1885 he was elected principal conductor of the Conservatoire concerts. In this post he actively promoted German choral and symphonic masterpieces, from Bach’s Mass in B minor to works of Brahms and Wagner. He was a founder-member of the Société Nationale de Musique in 1871. He wrote some music, a certain amount of which was published by Lemoine.