The American Baroque Orchestra
Mark Bailey, artistic director
Who was Joseph Bologne,
Le Chevalier de St. Georges?
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de St. Georges, was born in 1745 on the island of Guadeloupe, to Nanon, an African slave, and George Bologne de St. Georges, a French planter. By the mid-1770s, Joseph Bologne would become one of the most prominent violinists and composers in France. Bologne’s musical career was nothing short of extraordinary, to say nothing of his renown as a champion fencer and military life as a Colonel in the French Revolution. Learn more here about how Bologne's
extraordinary life and journey.
Watch "Joseph Bologne: Music and Beyond"
Watch "Joseph Bologne: Beloved in his time"
Joseph Bologne, Le Chevalier de St. Georges, was exceptionally well-known in his time, not only as a leading composer, conductor, and violinist, but also as a military general and swordsman. He was so well-known that United States President John Adams wrote in his diary about Bologne on his visit to Paris. Listen to original newspaper clippings, accounts, and diary entries about Joseph Bologne, read by ABO's associate artistic director, Kevin Sherwin.
With support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.