Édouard Lalo

Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo was born on 27 January 1823 in France and trained as both violist and violinist before turning to composition. For years his music struggled to find an audience, performed rarely if at all. Then came the Symphonie Espagnole, a five-movement concerto for violin and orchestra that cracked open his career with its blend of virtuosity and exoticism. The piece entered the standard repertoire and has stayed there ever since. Lalo also taught and continued composing until his death on 22 April 1892, but it's that one Spanish-flavored concerto that kept his name alive.