Paul Hillemacher

Paul Joseph Guillaume Hillemacher (25 November 1852 – 13 August 1933) was a French composer and pianist.

Born in Paris, Hillemacher studied at the Conservatoire de Paris in François Bazin's class. He received a Deuxième Prix for harmony in 1870, and a "1er accessit" in fugue two years later. He won, in 1873, a Second Prix de Rome then, in 1876, the Premier Grand Prix de Rome with his cantata Judith. He composed many stage works, operas, symphonies and art songs.

Most of his works were composed in collaboration with his brother Lucien Hillemacher (1860–1909). Their first collaboration began in 1879 with two songs, Le Dernier banquet and Barcarolle. By 1881, they signed their works, "P. L. Hillemacher", adopting the name Paul-Lucien Hillemacher.

In 1882, they published a collection of Vingt mélodies as well as the symphonic poem Loreley, which won the prize of the City of Paris. One of their songs, Ici-bas, was published by mistake under Debussy's name, which testifies to their fame.

Lucien Hillemacher won a Second Prix de Rome in 1879 and the First Grand Prix de Rome in 1880 with his Scène lyrique Fingal after Charles Dancours. There is also a piece for organ in G sharp minor (1907)

The two Hillemacher brothers were the sons of the academic painter Eugène Ernest Hillemacher.