César Franck (1822–1890) was a Belgian-born French composer, organist, pianist, and teacher, considered one of the major figures of French Romantic music. He is particularly renowned for his works for organ, symphony, and chamber music, as well as for his influence on the next generation of French composers, such as Saint-Saëns, Vincent d'Indy, and Ernest Chausson.

Born on December 10, 1822, in Liège, then in Belgium, Franck received a rigorous musical education. At a very young age, he studied piano, violin, and organ, proving himself to be an exceptional student. In 1835, he entered the Conservatory of Liège, then continued his studies in Paris. In 1844, he became an organist in Paris, a position he held successively in several prestigious churches, including Saint-Clotilde, where he remained until his death.

César Franck was a composer deeply attached to religious music and the organ, but he also excelled in symphonic and chamber music. His style is characterized by:

The use of cycles of recurring themes and motifs, a precursor to the leitmotif, sometimes called a “cyclical theme.”

Rich and expressive orchestration, combining color and harmonic depth.

A fusion of formal rigor and emotional intensity, influenced by German Romanticism and the French tradition.

Among his most famous works:

Symphony in D minor (1888): his symphonic masterpiece, marking the maturity of his cyclical style.

Prelude, Choral and Fugue (1868) and Fantasia in A major for piano and orchestra.

Quintet for piano and strings in F minor (1879): one of the most important pieces of French chamber music.

Numerous works for organ, such as the Unfinished Choral and the Three Pieces.

Franck was also an influential teacher at the Paris Conservatory, where he trained generations of musicians and spread his ideas on harmony, composition, and the French Romantic style.

He died in Paris on November 8, 1890. Today, César Franck is recognized as a pioneer of French symphonic and organ Romanticism, and his works continue to be performed around the world for their emotional depth and harmonic richness.

Along his university studies (DEA in musicology, University of Paris IV-Sorbonne), Frédéric Cellier was awarded three first prizes and a development prize at the CNR of Nice and won first prize at the International Competition of Musical Execution - soloist category – of Stresa (Italy).

He is the laureate of the Fondation de France and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and accredited teacher at the CNR of Nice, the CNR of Marseille, and at the CRR Olivier Messiaen of Avignon (France).

Frédéric Cellier is the interpreter of Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for clarinet Bb and piano with Jean-Michel Damase, Jean Françaix or Gabriel Tacchino, as well as his own arrangements for clarinet and harp of Erik Satie's Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes with the great French harpist Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche, and for clarinet, piano, and string orchestra of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in blue for Wynton Marsalis or under the baton of Adrian Gershwin, grandson of the composer.

Founder and artistic director of STRADIVARIUS Editions, he is the author of light music pieces played around the world and a considerable number of arrangements of all styles and for all instruments, acclaimed by many personalities in the music world, including Michèle Auric, Jean Françaix, Adrian Gershwin, Wynton Marsalis, Yehudi Menuhin, Madeleine Milhaud, Manuel Rosenthal, Gabriel Tacchino, and Ornella Volta.

"Frédéric Cellier has produced a number of adaptations of Georges Auric's works with such talent and precision that I consider them a natural addition to his chamber music catalogue."
Michèle AURIC - Georges Auric's widow

"To Frédéric Cellier, excellent musician and tireless arranger."
Jean FRANÇAIX - Composer and pianist

"Arranging a musical work is always a delicate and risky exercise, because it requires both modifying it so that it can be played by the desired instruments and preserving its very essence. But that is exactly what Frédéric Cellier has done, preserving the nuances, subtleties and soul of the original works while breathing new life into them.
His arrangements give all the musicians the chance to perform these compositions specially revisited for their instrument, and make music lovers rediscover them in a new light."
Adrian GERSHWIN - George Gershwin’s grandson

"Congratulations for your beautiful new orchestration and rendition of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in blue."
Wynton MARSALIS - Trumpet player, composer, bandleader, general and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York

"It is outstanding that Frédéric Cellier has managed to transpose Saxophone Marmalade from the saxophone to the clarinet. I thank him for it and wish its great and deserved success. "
Manuel ROSENTHAL - Conductor, composer and Maurice Ravel’s pupil

"I am very happy to tell you how much I appreciated your transcription of the Capriccio, based on Francis Poulenc's Le Bal Masqué. It perfectly reflects the spirit and verve of the score for two pianos that I had the opportunity to play and record with Jacques Février, and it was a great pleasure for me to premiere it in Montpellier."
Gabriel TACCHINO - Pianist, Francis Poulenc’s specialist

"I must tell you that I really like your transcriptions and that I think the tone of the instruments you have chosen suits perfectly our beloved composer."
Ornella VOLTA - Musicologist, president of the Erik Satie’s Foundation