A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Garcin, Jules
GARCIN, Jules Auguste(real name Salomon), violinist and conductor, born at Bourges, July 11, 1830. He came of a family of artists, and was cousin to the famous actress Rose Chéri, their maternal grandfather, Joseph Garcin, being director of a travelling company which performed opéra comique in the central and southern provinces of France for nearly twenty years with great success. At the age of thirteen Garcin entered the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied the violin under Clavel and Alard; he gained the first prize in 1853, and in 1856 became a member of the opera orchestra, and after a competitive examination was appointed (1871) first solo violin and third conductor. In 1878 he was also appointed second conductor at the concerts of the Universal Exhibition. Since 1860 he has been a member of the orchestra of the Concerts du Conservatoire, first as solo violin, and then as second conductor in place of Altès (1881), who had become first conductor at the opera at the end of 1879. At that time the first conductor of the Société des Concerts was Deldevez, who had replaced Hainl in 1872, not after his death in 1873. [See Hainl, Deldevez, Concert Spirituel, in vol. i. and Altès, vol. iv. p.521b.] In 1885, Deldevez having retired on account of his health, Garcin was elected conductor of the Socété des Concerts with a majority of 26 votes over Guiraud.
Garcin, who was a pupil of Bazin for harmony, and of Adam and Ambroise Thomas for composition, has written a number of works for violin and orchestra or piano, the most prominent of which is a concerto played by himself at the Conservatoire, and at the Concerts Populaires in 1868, and by Maurin at the Concerts Populaires in 1878. M. Garcin is an experienced and conscientious artist, without the exaggerated gestures and manner which too often deceive the public.