Charles Auguste de Beriot

De Beriot was born in Louvain, Belgium, February 20, 1802, and died at Louvain, April 8, 1870. He studied the violin under his guardian, Tiby, but in his nineteenth year he went to Paris, and, though he did not study with Viotti and Baillot, as reported, his work was supervised by them. He then went on tour, meeting with great success in London, Paris and the great music centers of Europe. In 1836 he married Maria Malibran. After her death, in the same year, de Beriot lived in Brussels, playing little in public. Four years later, however, he went on tour in Germany, where he met and married Marie Huber. The death of Baillot took place in 1842, and his position as instructor at the Paris Conservator was offered to de Beriot. The great violinist, however, rejected the offer, and in 1843 became chief violin instructor at the Brussels Conservatory. On account of failing eyesight he retired in 1852, and in 1858 became totally blind. He published a great amount of violin music, including seven concertos and eleven airs varies, and much pedagogic material. He founded the Franco-Belgian violin school of playing, and possessed wonderful technic. He followed the style of Paganini rather than of the French school, seeking brilliance of effect rather than purity of tone.