André Gedalge

André Gedalge (27 December 1856 – 5 February 1926), was an influential French composer and teacher.

André Gedalge was born at 75 rue des Saints-Pères, in Paris, where he first worked as a bookseller and editor specializing in livres de prix for public schools. During this time he published books by Marie Laubot and Edmond About for the Librairie Gedalge.

In 1886, at the age of 28, he entered the Paris Conservatory. In that same year he won the Second Prix de Rome. He studied under Ernest Guiraud, professor of counterpoint and fugue, who had also been Jules Massenet's teacher.

In 1891, Gedalge composed the score for le Petit Savoyard, a pantomime in four acts performed at Les Nouveautés. In 1895, Pris au Piège was awarded the prix Cressant. In June 1900, his one act ballet Phoebé debuted at the Opéra-Comique. He composed Quatuor d'archet, les Vaux de Vire (a collection of melodies), children's songs, and three symphonies. These illustrated the proud motto that he followed: "Neither literature, nor painting", which defined "pure music". His Third Symphony in F Major and his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (written in 1899) were considered masterpieces of French music.

In the years before World War I, Gedalge served as Mayor of Chessy, Seine-et-Marne, where he later died and was buried.

He influenced many students of music. See: List of music students by teacher: G to J#André Gedalge.

He also wrote instructional works for students: "Treatise of the Fugue" ("Traité de la fugue", 1904), and a book on "The Instruction of Music by the Education of the Ear" ("l'Enseignement de la Musique par l'éducation de l'oreille", 1922).

He was relatively modest and, as such, did not garner a large reputation as an individual musician, but he greatly benefited from the wide recognition of his students. On the day after his death, it was written:

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