Colyns, Jean-Baptiste

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Colyns, Jean-Baptiste

Colyns, Jean-Baptiste, Belgian violinist, conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Brussels, Nov. 25, 1834; d. there, Oct. 31, 1902. He studied with L.J. Meerts at the Brussels Cons., where he won a premier prix for violin. He was solo violinist at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels and also first violinist in the court string quartet. As a soloist, he toured with success in Belgium, England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. In 1863 he became a teacher at the Brussels Cons., and in 1888 at the Antwerp Cons. He wrote two comic operas, Sir William (Brussels, April 1877) and Capitaine Raymond (Brussels, April 8, 1881), a Scherzo symphonique, a Violin Concerto, and chamber pieces.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire