Drouet, Louis François-Philippe

views updated

Drouet, Louis François-Philippe

Drouet, Louis François-Philippe, famous French flutist and composer; b. Amsterdam, April 14, 1792; d. Bern, Sept. 30,1873. He studied composition at the Paris Cons. At the age of 16, he was appointed solo flutist to King Louis of the Netherlands, and at 19 became solo flutist to Napoleon. After Napoleon’s de-feat, he played the flute with fine impartiality for King Louis XVIII. In 1817 he went to London, and subsequently made concert tours across Europe. In 1840 he was appointed Kapellmeister at Coburg. In 1854 he visited America for a few months, then lived in Gotha and Frankfurt am Main before going to Switzerland. He composed mainly for the flute, numbering among his works ten flute concertos, two fantasias for flute and piano, three trios for three flutes, and numerous sonatas and variations for flute and assorted instruments.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire