born Feb. 21, 1836, Saint-Germain-du-Val, France
died Jan. 16, 1891, Paris
French composer.
He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and worked as a church organist and as accompanist and chorus master at the Paris Opéra. Though he composed almost 30 operas, operettas, and ballets, as well as many choral pieces, he is remembered today for three works: the ballets Coppélia (1870) and Sylvia (1876) and the opera Lakmé (1883).