Guy Ropartz

Joseph Guy Marie Ropartz was a French composer and conductor known for compositions that reflected his Breton heritage, including five symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, stage works, choral pieces, and his contributions to poetry. Born on 15 June 1864 in Guingamp, Brittany, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and collaborated with prominent artists such as Georges Enesco. Ropartz directed the Nancy Conservatory, where he enhanced the music curriculum, and led the conservatory's symphonic concerts. A figure in the Breton cultural renaissance, Ropartz supported regional autonomy and honored Breton literature through music. After World War I, he became director of the Strasbourg Conservatory and later a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He retired in 1929, continued composing until he became blind in 1953, and passed away in Lanloup on 22 November 1955.