Berlioz, Hector, 1803-1869

French Romantic composer, conductor, and music critic. Expected to enter the medical profession, he passed medical school in 1824, yet pursued a career in music in Paris. He then attended the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris and became a regular contributor to the musical press. Despite gaining a reputation in Paris as unconventional, he nevertheless won the Prix de Rome in 1830, allowing him to study at the French Academy in Rome which, although he did not care for Rome, inspired his well-known work Harold en Italie (1834). In 1837, Berlioz produced his Grande Messe des morts (Requiem), for which he received a commission from the French government. He was awarded Légion d'honneur soon after, although this was followed by mixed success as a composer. Despite this, he repeated sought recourse in conducting, receiving acclaim in London and during a tour in Germany. As a composer, he is best known for his three operas: Benvenuto Cellini (1838), Les Troyans (1856), and Béatrice et Bénédict (1862), along with his four symphonies, in particular his Symphonie fantastique (1830) and Harold in Italie. He died in Paris on March 8, 1869.