Colin: 3rd Solo de Concours for oboe and piano

Code: JP1085
ISMN: 979-0-3019-0276-9

Charles-Joseph Colin (1832-1881) was the sixth Professor of Oboe to be appointed at the Paris Conservatory. Born at Cherbourg, he received his early musical training from his father Charles-Louis Colin, who was Professor of Harmony and conductor at the Opera of Bordeaux. Charles-Joseph was a pupil of the famous oboist Gustave Vogt, but also studied organ with Francois Benoist and harmony with Adolphe Adam and Ambroise Thomas. Charles-Joseph was awarded first prize in oboe in 1852 at the young age of twenty. A year later he won first prize in both harmony and accompaniment, followed by the first prize in both organ and counterpoint in 1854. In 1857 he crowned his successes by winning the second Grand Prix de Rome with his cantata Clovis et Clotilde.

When Colin was awarded the position of Professor of Oboe at the Paris Conservatory in 1868, he succeeded Felix Berthelemy, who had died only one year after being appointed to the position. Following in the tradition of other teachers at the conservatory when proposing the required Concours work during his professorship, Colin drew from his own compositions or those of earlier oboe professors. He composed a total of eight Solos de Concours plus a Grande Fantaisie for oboe and piano.

In 1877, Colin was awarded Officier d'Academie for his services as a teacher, and in 1881, he was named as a Knight of the Legion of Honour just a few days before his death. Colin died during the 1881 Concours at the age of forty-nine, and was succeeded that year by his former student George Gillet as Professor of Oboe at the Paris Conservatory.

This edition has been edited by Valarie Anderson.