Paul Bernard

Paul Bernard (1827–1879) was a French composer.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article on Paul Bernard (composer).

From the period sources

Paul Bernard, born in Poitiers, France, on October 4, 1827, pursued his artistic education in Paris. He studied piano with Gambaro and Thalberg, and in 1843, entered the Conservatoire in M. Ehvart’s harmony class, moving to Halévy’s fugue and composition class in 1845. Bernard participated in the Prix de Rome competition in 1847, but his marriage the following April prevented him from re-entering the contest, according to the Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique (1866).

Known as a successful concert-pianist and teacher, Bernard also distinguished himself as a composer of numerous small piano pieces and vocal melodies, some of which were performed as “salon operas” like Loin du bruit and L’Accord parfait. Though his artistic circumstances did not allow him to produce works for the theater, he was also active as a music critic, contributing articles to Parisian musical papers such as Le Ménestrel and the Revue et Gazette Musicale, as noted in A Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (1900). Bernard’s name is also associated with the founding of the Cressent competition, which he helped organize due to a fraternal friendship with the donor. He died in Paris on February 24, 1879.