Born in Paris, France on June 17, 1818;
died on October 18, 1893

Charles Gounod (1818–1893) was born in Paris and grew up in an apartment at the Palace of Versailles, where his father was the official artist to the Duc de Berry. As a student at the Paris Conservatoire, the young Gounod developed a friendship with Hector Berlioz and later distinguished himself by winning the Prix de Rome, France’s highest musical honour.

The prize allowed him to study in Rome for two years, followed by a year in Austria and Germany. Later, in Prussia, Gounod was mentored by Felix Mendelssohn, who planted in the young composer a deep reverence for the music of Bach; this would later inspire one of his most famous works, a setting of the Ave Maria.

In addition to church and concert music, Gounod composed several operas, achieving commercial success in 1859 with Faust. His opera Roméo et Juliette (1867) was equally well received and remains in the repertory to this day.

After the death of Berlioz, Gounod was widely regarded as France’s foremost composer, although a rising generation that included Bizet (who was one of Gounod’s private pupils), Fauré, Massenet, and Saint-Saëns would soon overtake him. Nevertheless, Gounod’s musical influence can be heard in later works by all of these composers, with Debussy describing his contribution to the musical canon as “essential”. Following his death in 1893, Gounod was laid to rest in a state funeral at which Fauré conducted.