Nicolas-Joseph Platel

Nicolas-Joseph Platel (1777 – 25 August 1835) was a French cellist and composer. He is considered the founder of the Belgian school of cello playing. From 1831 until his death, he was the professor of cello at the Conservatoire de Musique in Brussels.

Life Nicolas-Joseph Platel was born in Versailles, France, in 1777. His father, a musician in the French Chapelle royale, placed him in the Institute of the Royal Pages, where Nicolas-Joseph studied singing. When he was ten years old, he showed an inclination for the cello and began training under Jean-Louis Duport, a friend of his father. Duport left France for Berlin at the end of 1789, leaving Platel without a teacher. In 1793, Jacques-Michel Hurel de Lamare – another pupil of Duport – began supervising Platel's studies. He fell in love with an actress there, and moved with her to Lyon in 1797. Platel returned to Paris in 1801, holding multiple successful concerts. At the time he was reputed the best cellist in France, with Duport still in Berlin and Lamare in Russia. Platel is considered the founder of the Belgian school of cello playing. His students included Adrien-François Servais, Alexandre Batta, and , who would succeed him in the position.

Platel died in Brussels on 25 August 1835.

Compositions Platel composed five cello concertos, three books of sonatas, eight sets of variations, six romances with piano accompaniment, six duets for violin and cello, and three trios for violin, viola, and cello.