Louis François Dauprat

Louis François Dauprat (24 May 1781 – 16 July 1868) was a French horn player, composer and professor at the Conservatoire de Paris. He played and taught natural horn only, but was also very interested in the first experiments with keyed horns. He successfully ensured the development of a distinctively French school of playing, marginally influenced by the invention of the valve horn.

Born in Paris, Dauprat first studied in the Paris Conservatory with Johann Joseph Kenn and in 1795, setting up in his horn class where he won the 1798 "Premier Prix". As a prize, he was awarded with an experimental horn model made by Lucien Joseph Raoux's studio, now one of the most impressive pieces in the museum of the Paris Conservatory.

From 1806 to 1808, he was the principal hornist in the orchestra of the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, and from 1808 to 1811, he worked for the Paris Opera Orchestra and the Paris Conservatory. He succeeded his teacher as professor in the Conservatory and held that position until 1833 when he was succeeded by the famous solo horn player (and his own former student) Jacques-François Gallay.

Dauprat wrote the textbook Méthode pour cor alto et cor basse (Paris, 1824), which is of much historical and methodological interest, and wrote five concertos for horn and orchestra and various compositions for chamber ensembles.

He died in Paris.