Eugène Arnold Dolmetsch (* February 24, 1858 in Le Mans, France; † February 28, 1940 in Haslemere, Surrey, UK) was a Frenchman, who worked as a musician and instrument maker from 1917 in England. He is considered one of the earliest pioneers of historical performance practice and in this juncture, the rediscovery of the recorder in the 20th century.
The son of a piano maker first studied violin with Henri Vieuxtemps at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music in London with the violinist Henry Holmes and with the composer and conductor John Frederick Bridge and finished a Bachelor of Music in 1889.
He admired the collection of historical musical instruments in the British Museum during his London studies and began reconstructing harpsichords and clavichords. He later expanded his pursuit of historical instrument making from the most forgotten musical instruments from the 15th to the 18th centuries. His professional work spaces were in Boston and Paris. Earlier in 1917 he had opened his workshop in Haslemere, England for fear of the bombing of Paris. Starting in 1890 he often gave concerts with his instruments. In 1919 he presented a major reconstruction of a alto recorder based on an historical model.
In 1925 he founded an annual festival to revive antiquated chamber music that took place at his residence. Consequently, he aroused widespread interest in solo and ensemble music on lutes, recorders, violas and harpsichords.
(Source: Wikipedia)
