COLONNE, JULES EDOUARD

COLONNE, JULES EDOUARD (Judah; 1838–1910), French violinist and conductor. Born in Bordeaux, he learned to play several instruments there. In 1855 he went to Paris and in 1857 entered the Paris Conservatory, where he won first prize for harmony and for violin. He became the leading violinist of the Paris Opéra and in the Lamoureux Quartet. In 1873 he founded the Organisation du Concert National, which became the Concerts du Châtelet, and finally the Concerts Colonne, which under his conductorship played an important role in fostering the performances of works by contemporary French and foreign composers; it was on performances of the works of Berlioz that his success was based. He was also the conductor of the official ten concerts at the Trocadero during the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878, and appeared as visiting conductor in Europe and New York. In 1892 he joined the Paris Opera as artistic adviser and conductor. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: NG2, S. V. (Amnon Shiloah (2nd ed.)