Jullien

Jullien (originally Julien), Louis Antoine (1812-60), the well-known conductor, was born at Sisteron, Basses Alpes, his father being a bandmaster. He sttidied composition without success under Halevy, and left the Paris Conservatoire in 1836 to begin his career as conductor. In 1838 he was for the first time insolvent, and in 1840 first appeared in London, where he conducted concerts at Drury Lane. In December, 1842, he began an annual series of concerts which lasted till 1859. He popularised music by means of large bands, immense orchestras, the engagement of the best performers, and by great tact in the introduction of classical pieces. A special feature of these concerts were monster quadrilles composed by himself for the occasion. In 1848 he again became bankrupt in spite of his great success, and the year before his death was imprisoned for debt at Clichy. In 1856, when Covent Garden Theatre was destroyed by fire, he lost the whole of his music.