Auguste-Joseph Franchomme, born on April 10, 1808, in Lille, France, was a notable cellist and composer. He studied at the Conservatoire de Lille and later at the Conservatoire de Paris, earning his first prize in his initial year. Franchomme became the principal cellist of the Chapelle Royale in 1828 and co-founded the Alard Quartet with Delphin Alard and Charles Hallé. He notably collaborated with Frédéric Chopin on "Grand Duo Concertant" for piano and cello (1833). Franchomme also acquired notable Stradivarius cellos, including the Duport in 1843 and De Munck-Feuermann in 1869. He succeeded Louis Norblin as the first professor of cello at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1846 and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 1872. Franchomme passed away on January 21, 1884, in Paris.
