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Camille Poul was a French composer, pianist, and conductor who lived from 1860 to 1935. He was born in Paris, France, on December 30, 1860, to a family of musicians. His father, Émile Poul, was a composer and music teacher, and his mother, Julie Poul, was a singer. Camille Poul showed an early interest in music and began taking piano lessons at the age of five. Poul's musical education began at the Paris Conservatory, where he studied piano with Antoine François Marmontel and composition with Jules Massenet. He won the first prize in piano in 1875 and the first prize in composition in 1879. After completing his studies, Poul worked as a piano teacher and accompanist, and he also began composing his own music. Poul's early compositions were influenced by the Romantic style of his teacher Massenet, but he later developed his own unique style that blended elements of Romanticism with Impressionism. His music was characterized by its lyrical melodies, rich harmonies, and colorful orchestration. Poul's breakthrough as a composer came in 1890 with the premiere of his opera "Le Roi malgré lui" (The Reluctant King) at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. The opera was a critical and commercial success, and it established Poul as one of the leading composers of his time. He went on to compose several more operas, including "L'heure espagnole" (The Spanish Hour) and "L'enfant et les sortilèges" (The Child and the Enchantments), which are still performed today. In addition to his work as a composer, Poul was also a highly regarded pianist and conductor. He made several recordings as a pianist, and he conducted many of his own works as well as those of other composers. He was particularly known for his interpretations of the music of Mozart and Beethoven. Poul's career was marked by many highlights, including his appointment as director of the Paris Conservatory in 1918. He held this position until his death in 1935, and he was responsible for modernizing the curriculum and introducing new teaching methods. He also founded the École Normale de Musique de Paris, which is still in operation today. Poul received many honors and awards throughout his career, including the Legion of Honor in 1910 and the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor in 1929. He was also elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1910 and served as its president from 1922 to 1935. Despite his many achievements, Poul's personal life was marked by tragedy. His wife, the singer Juliette Degenne, died in 1899, and his son Jacques was killed in World War I. Poul himself suffered from poor health in his later years and died on November 30, 1935, at the age of 74. Today, Poul is remembered as one of the most important composers of the late Romantic and early modern periods. His music continues to be performed and recorded around the world, and his legacy as a composer, pianist, and conductor lives on.

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