Musician, Composer. He received notoriety during the 18th century as a French virtuoso violinist and composer of nine violin concerts with sources stating he was one of the most renowned violinists that France ever produced. At the age of nine, he started violin studies with Saint-Marie; at the death of his father in 1783, he became a ward of a state official; this followed with studies in Rome; returning to Paris in 1791; becoming a member of the Theater Feydeau; and in 1802 a member of Napoleon's private orchestra, thus fulfilling his required military service. He studied under Giovanni Battista Viotti, who profoundly taught him technical and musical development. Starting in 1795 he taught at the National Conservatory in Paris for forty-seven years, by the 1820s became a leader at the Paris Opera giving solo recitals, and was a notable performer of chamber music. Many promising violinists of the next generation were his students including Charles Danclas, Francois Habeneck, and Jacques Mazas. Touring widely in Europe and Russia from 1805 to 1809, his influence in style of music was extended to German schools of music. He gave 154 free concerts on these tours. In 1833, he made his final tour to Switzerland and Italy. He is considered to have been the last distinctive representative of the great classical school of violin playing in Paris. He wrote in 1803 “The Violin Methods” and in 1834 his more noted publication, “The Art of the Violin,” which was edited and translated to English in June of 1991. In his "The Art of the Violin," he recognizes the chief distinction between the old and the modern style of violin playing and gives insights into the style of nineteenth-century fingering, bowing, ornamentation, and expressiveness that are not apparent from the directions and markings found in scores of that time. This text has become invaluable for performers interested in understanding the intentions of composers such as Viotti, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Felix Mendelssohn. Besides these two books, he wrote chapters in several other musicians' textbooks.