NVYO March 8th concert: Meet Joseph Bologne!

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George (1745–1799) was much more than simply a composer. Not only was he among the most important musicians in Paris during the pre-revolutionary period but he was also a superb all-round athlete and man of arms. Bologne was born in Guadaloupe, son of a plantation owner and a black slave, and was sent to France for training and education. A wildly successful violinist, composer, athlete, and soldier, Bologne was also a political activist who founded a French anti-slavery group. Bologne was among the most fascinating figures during the years at the end of France's old regime and during its age of revolution at the end of the eighteenth century.