Louis Dorus

Louis Dorus
Louis_Dorus in 1864
Born	Vincent-Joseph van Steenkiste 1 March 1812 Valenciennes
Died	9 June 1896(1896-06-09) (aged 84) Étretat
Occupation	Flautist at the Conservatoire de Paris

Louis Dorus (born Vincent Joseph van Steenkiste; 1 March 1812 – 9 June 1896) was a 19th-century French classical flautist. Vincent-Joseph van Steenkiste, his real name, was the first French flautist to use the transverse flûte. He perfected this instrument, and is at the origin of the "Dorus system". He is the younger brother of Julie Dorus-Gras, the father of the singer and pianist Juliette Vansteenkiste called Dorus, known after her marriage as Rabaud-Dorus, and Henri Rabaud's grandfather.

The birth name of Louis Dorus is Vincent Joseph van Steenkiste called Dorus. Dorus has been the nickname of the family since the 18th century, probably since the arrival of his great-great-grandfather Theodorus in Valenciennes. In 1705 he was a knave-worker (role of capitations) and came from Kortrijk. He is at the origin of all the bearers of the name in the Valenciennois. His family has no ties with another bourgeois family Van Steenkiste, originally from Thielt.

Vincent Joseph van Steenkiste was born 1 March 1812 in Valenciennes. His mother, Catherine Lionnois, was born in Nancy 15 May 1772. Vincent Joseph's father, Aimé Joseph Ghislain van Steenkiste, born June 21, 1772 in Valenciennes, was a former lieutenant in the Grande Armée, reconverted into trade and conductor of an orchestra at the Valenciennes theater. His grandfather Jean François Joseph was a painter, his great-grandfather François Joseph was master mulquinier in Valenciennes. Vincent-Joseph quickly became interested in music, which he learned with his father. He went to study at the Paris Conservatory where he obtained the first prize in 1828.

Dorus married 8 March 1836 in the 11th arrondissement of Paris with a daughter of painter Jean-Baptiste Singry (Notre Dame de Nancy, 1 March 1782 - Paris 1824), Émilie (born 11 August 1813 in Paris, died 19 September 1897 in Étretat). From this marriage 3 children will be born. His daughter Juliette married religiously on 24 October 1867 in Saint-Roch, Paris with Hippolyte Rabaud, a cellist at the conservatoire de Paris.

From 1828 to 1830, Dorus played at the Théâtre des Variétés. During these years, he gave concerts, and impressed those who listened to him, as testified by the newspapers of the time devoted to music: Le Ménestrel praised "The flute solo executed with so much taste and perfection by Mr. Dorus, has earned this young artist the applause of the whole venue".